All In A Day's Work
by Aquatic-Idealist
Summary: Once again the Drama Club goes through another hurdle in their activities, and Nagisa doesn't know what else to do, as usual. Join the gang as they hitch a ride on the roller coaster known as life. But will things get less bumpy for some of them?
1. All In A Day's Work

All in a Day's Work

It's morning, and dew slowly begins to evaporate off the Drama Club's windowsill...

The cold air that blows through the window is cool, refreshing, even energizing at times, and Sunohara stuck his head out the window, appreciating this fine morning air...

But the peaceful expression on his face didn't last for long.

"Youhei! What the hell are you doing?!" A shrill voice pierced the calm silence, and Sunohara Youhei pulled his head back into the room.

"Nothing! Nothing at all, Club Emp... Vice President!" Sunohara stammered, knowing that one wrong word would cause a dictionary to break his nose.

"You'd better be doing nothing. As I was saying, without Komura, it looks like our club will have to lay down low for a while. Stupid Choir Club... They walk in and think they can make us all feel sorry for them... Those cowards..." Kyou gritted her teeth.

Sunohara spent a moment admiring her long hair. She really kept it clean. If he was a girl, he doubted that he could be as clean as her.

And then he realized what he was doing, and immediately snapped out of it.

Tomoya yawned. "So, anyway, this means we'll have absolutely nothing to do, right?"

"That means I can play the violin to pass the time." Kotomi beamed, but Tomoya, Kyou, and Youhei himself all ran over and grabbed her to keep her from lifting her arms.

"Tomoya, don't be so rough on Kotomi... You three are being so mean to her..." Nagisa's scold turned into a mumble.

"We're just joking around, you know that. It's not like we really don't like Kotomi, is it?" Tomoya smiled at the shy girl.

"But... But it's because you don't like my violin playing, right?..." Kotomi blinked.

"No... Not at all!" Ryou and Nagisa both stammered.

Kyou sighed. "How many times do we have to sugar coat everything?" She glanced at Tomoya and Youhei, who glanced back at her with the same exhausted expression.

"You're being too harsh, sis..." Ryou scolded, but the scolding was so light that it seemed more like she was begging Kyou to be nicer.

Kyou only sighed, staring at Tomoya. Once again, Youhei felt his chest drop a little.

"So, anyway, what should we do now?" Nagisa offered, staring eagerly at Kyou.

Kyou sighed. It wasn't like she knew all the answers, but the entire group seemed to depend on her.

"We could go out and have dinner together or something! C'mon, there must be something the six of us can do together!" Youhei laughed.

...Or not. Kyou blinked. Sometimes Youhei made the dumbest suggestions ever, but this idea wasn't half bad.

"Hmn... I'm up for it. What about you, Tomoya?" Kyou turned to the alpha male of the pack.

"Me? Well... Why don't we ask the Class President?" Tomoya replied with a blink.

Kyou sighed to herself. Why was it that Tomoya always had to include Nagisa in everything?

Youhei sighed to himself. Why was it that Kyou had to add Tomoya to everything?

"Um... I don't know... My parents might need me to work in the bakery with them..." Nagisa mumbled.

"Then I guess I'll pass." Tomoya chuckled a little.

Kyou looked very disappointed. And Youhei, who was staring at Kyou the whole time, looked even more disappointed than her.

"I'll join in too, sis! We have Youhei with us, so it'll be more fun than just the two of us." Ryou smiled.

"Let me come too!" Kotomi added.

Youhei didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Kyou looked kinda worried about their plan, while Ryou and Kotomi seemed like they wanted to go, despite the fact that Tomoya wouldn't be there.

"You know?" Kyou sighed as she turned to the other three who were going to this dinner. "Why don't we invite the Student Council President as well?"

Once she mentioned Sakagami Tomoyo, Youhei's face turned blue. Just when he thought he could spend some time with Kyou, he was going to suffer miserably because that demon would also be there.

* * *

A demon to his left...

And a demon to his right...

And they were in a clothes shop.

THE HORROR! Sunohara Youhei thought to himself. He wanted to scream, to call anyone, even Mei, if he had to, to his rescue. Okazaki left him here to carry more than thirty bags for these girls, and he was far from thrilled.

Tomoyo seemed confused, but Kyou was willing to set aside their rivalry over Tomoya (since Tomoya didn't seem to really care about either of them anyway), and they'd go shop for clothes and hang out together, with Youhei as their walking clothes-hanger, porter, and slave. And she knew Youhei would do it without complaining either.

Seriously, when it came to girls, did that guy have no backbone or a sense of dignity?

As Ryou, Kotomi, and even Tomoyo were hunting for anything they liked, Kyou walked a little slower as she thought about him.

How could a guy be so pathetic? He'd take off his pants in public, for god's sake, just because some charm told him that he'd become attractive that way! What was he thinking?

Well, that was assuming that he could think in the first place.

But Youhei was so confusing as a person. Sometimes he'd make a wise comment that made everyone think, and at other times he could be so pathetic that it would be an embarrassment to be within a mile of him.

Why was he like this, anyway? Was it for attention? He was sure getting plenty of that by being the class idiot and "bad apple."

She just couldn't understand him...

* * *

"Brat! How dare you walk so closely to my daughter?!" A voice bellowed from the Furukawa bakery.

"Dad!" Nagisa called back, her face red in embarrassment.

"It's alright..." Tomoya groaned, walking closer to the bakery without changing his position at all.

"I appreciate you for escorting her, but you are treading on my turf there!" Akio growled as he stepped out of his bakery.

"Yeah, yeah. Old man, don't get a heart attack."

"You dare call me old?! Silly boy, you're scrawny as heck. It looks like you'll get cramps faster than me."

"A heart attack is a cramp?" Nagisa mumbled. Tomoya sighed and brushed past Akio, entering the bakery without a care in the world.

"Tomoya, welcome!" Sanae bowed.

"Hi." Tomoya smiled. Akio growled from behind him.

"Are you hitting on my Sanae?"

"Just be quiet already."

"You... Brat! Don't command me to do anything! I'm your elder. I should be commanding _YOU__!_"

Tomoya wanted to slam his head against the wall. Sure, someone could get used to this... But now was about the time when anyone would crack...

* * *

So Youhei grunted as he carried fifty bags up the mall's escalator as the four other girls happily chatted amongst themselves, and Tomoya found himself dealing with his insane future father-in-law. Things could only get worse from here... Or would they?


	2. Tactical Blunders

So, yes, people. I've noticed that I might have messed up a bit by not having Nagisa call Tomoya "Okazaki-kun," especially since Kyou and Ryou haven't actually been rejected by Tomoya yet, though they're starting to see the big picture. But, what the hey. I'm not going to use honorifics in an English fic, mind you. Does this detail really mean that much? I honestly don't think so, and thus I'll stick with what I'm doing now. XD

Tactical Blunders

Sunohara Youhei needed only a few things to feel content.

One is friendship, but in Youhei's case Tomoya, having pulled pranks on him since the first day they met, wasn't really much of a friend...

Another is entertainment, but in Youhei's case it was more like he was the source of entertainment for everyone else...

A third is companionship, and on this day he was getting plenty of that.

He was flanked by four girls, and in his eyes if he wasn't in heaven, then perhaps heaven didn't exist.

Yet, scoot a bit to the right, and Kyou would slam a dictionary in his face. Scoot a little to the left, and risk a punch from Tomoyo. The two strongest girls in the whole school sat next to him not because they enjoyed his company, but because they couldn't trust him to get anywhere near Ryou or Kotomi.

Youhei sighed. Since when did he get such a horrible reputation?

Everyone was digging into their own meals, and it looked like they would all have to pay their own share. Youhei didn't have the cash to pay for everyone and he hoped that Kyou wouldn't force him to... But, then again, that girl was totally unpredictable, and somehow that made her kinda cute.

But _why?!_ It was like walking up to a lion's den, entering it, and snuggling next to the sleeping beast because one liked how soft it's fur was. It was suicide, like a moth flying headfirst into a glowing neon sign, but he was like that moth... He wanted to be next to Kyou, even if she'd eat him alive.

He risked a glance in her direction as she munched on something with her fork. She was too busy talking with Ryou, trying to give her another tip as to how to make a move on Tomoya, despite the fact that Tomoya and Nagisa were practically a couple. Youhei shook his head and breathed deeply, in and out. Why couldn't Kyou just accept the fact that they all lost against Nagisa and that Tomoya didn't really care about them that much? Why couldn't Kyou notice him?

As he turned back to his plate he found Tomoyo staring at him, which honestly startled him a little.

Tomoyo seemed to smile knowingly, and went back to her own food. Youhei could only gawk a little at Tomoyo and wonder what she had figured out... If Tomoyo told Kyou about this... Oh, God, he'd be dead!

* * *

The Furukawa bakery had customers entering and exiting every now and then. It was so boring to sit at the counter and wait for their lazy arses to stumble in, but Tomoya couldn't really complain. The job itself wasn't hard by any means, but it definitely was boring...

"Brat! Why are you just lying there like a lazy sloth? Get up and help me take out the trash!" Akio roared.

"We need someone to be watching the front!"

"Nagisa can easily do that!"

"But she might get delirious all of a sudden. You should know that better than anyone!"

"Are you disrespecting Nagisa, brat?!"

Both men found themselves glaring face to face, when Sanae ran over. "Now, now, everyone, there's no need to fight. Tomoya, would you mind if you could help take the trash? Akio's getting older, and a little slower, so he'll need your help..."

Tears welled in Akio's eyes. "To think I'm starting to lose skill compared to a brat... I curse you, aging! I curse you with all my heart!"

Tomoya rolled his eyes as he hoisted the trash bag and strolled off.

* * *

The city light posts flew past the window as Sunohara stared boredly into it. This bus was going so slowly, and yet staring into these fixed street lamps did make it seem like it was making quite a bit of progress.

Sixty bags were attached to his body. In many creative ways, too. Some of the less fragile items, like a new thermos, were tied to the top of Sunohara's shoes, while he had to hand-carry twenty in each hand and use his teeth to hold on to another ten of them.

Though she found it disturbing, somehow, Youhei truly was quite willing to be their personal slave. Kyou wanted to hit him for it... How could someone lack a spine like this? How could someone be willing to be so useless? It made absolutely no sense...

Of course, she'd hit him later. For now, she had to make sure that none of their bags got damaged...

Youhei couldn't sit down, nor could he actually hold on to one of the rings that were meant for passengers on the bus. Tomoyo held onto him from her seat, as he was standing right next to her. That way, it was unlikely for him to fall, considering how incredibly strong Tomoyo was...

He felt Tomoyo's hand gripping on his flesh, and though it hurt quite a bit, he dared not open his mouth to cry out in pain... For that would cause the bags to fall, and he'd be eaten alive.

Youhei grumbled to himself. As a man, he should be doing this, right? He should be helping these girls in any way he could... And, yet, for some reason, this didn't seem right. For one, Kyou and Tomoyo were anything but weak. They could easily carry many of these bags better than he could. Why did he have to carry them all, then? Now it was more like he was a bag of groceries himself, for he couldn't move on his own without Tomoyo patiently guiding his every step... Otherwise he'd crush something and Kyou would have to beat him up.

This was so unfair... Sunohara finally decided when the bus finally came to a stop. It was about time that he started to make these girls realize who he was!... Or die trying...

* * *

"Tomoya, thanks for helping my parents... Again..." Nagisa shivered a little, flustered and uncertain as to what to say.

Tomoya laughed. "No worries, Nagisa. It's my pleasure!"

If Kyou or Sunohara were watching at the moment, their jaws would probably drop. Tomoya, cheerful? That's something you don't see every day.

Nagisa blinked, surprised at Tomoya's cheerfulness. "Tomoya, that's so nice of you."

Tomoya smirked. "Let's head back inside."

And together they returned to the bakery...

* * *

Tomoyo slowly guided Youhei down the steps of the bus, like an old woman guiding her aging husband along.

And for some reason Kyou found it both amusing and disturbing...

But she had the sense not to shout, or Youhei might get startled and trip, destroying all the merchandise the four girls bought.

When Youhei finally found himself on the sidewalk, with the girls surrounding him and the bus pulling away, he did the unthinkable.

He opened his mouth and let some of the bags fall, then he kicked them and dropped the bags in his hands. Afterwards he started to run, with a thermos still fused with his left shoelace.

Kyou could hear the slamming of items as Youhei ran for his dear life, and immediately started to chase him. Kotomi and Ryou were absolutely stunned, just standing there staring after Kyou, while Tomoyo quickly tried to rescue all the fallen stuff.

* * *

Youhei continued to run, letting whatever things that were attached to him fly off here and there. He was his own man, and he was going to make it out alive. Kyou wouldn't be able to get to him.

Kyou was shocked at seeing Youhei like this. True, it was right for him to stand up for himself, but did he have to ruin everything? Did he know how much money half of those stuff were worth?... Then again, he could easily counter that they were being stupid for buying such expensive stuff and having him carry all of it (which would obviously leave each item with a lot of risk).

Books, forks, pillows, mugs, and a variety of objects flew in her way as Kyou chased Youhei down. One of those forks nearly stabbed her in the eye, and for a moment Kyou realized how slave labor can easily backfire... Youhei had to break eventually, but she didn't expect him to break now.

He glanced behind him and saw that she was gaining ground.

"Crap... I'm getting tired... If she gets any faster, I'm done for!" Sunohara gulped.

Then he flew over a short driveway, and as Kyou chased him she stepped on that same driveway.

At that moment, a bike swerved from that driveway, right towards Kyou. The stupid bicyclist was chatting on his cell, and the moment he saw Kyou, he started to slam the breaks...

But it looked like he was going to hit her...

And Youhei wasn't that far ahead... So, without thinking, he skidded to a halt and leapt back towards her. (1.)

Kyou was stunned as Youhei grabbed her arm and dragged her back. Time seemed to go at a standstill as Youhei pulled Kyou out of the way, letting the bike skid over to the edge of the driveway.

"What the hell?!" Youhei yelled at the rider.

"Watch where you're going, idiot!" The rider yelled back as he turned to the right and rode off.

Kyou blinked as she tried to regain her bearings.

Youhei slowly stepped away from her, uncertain how she'd react. Would she brush it off and beat the living daylights out of him, or would she thank him, or would she give him a five minute head start? What would happen now?

For a second they both stood there, shocked at each other.

"Um... Thanks..." She smiled slightly. She honestly didn't expect him to help her.

"Yeah... Um... Can I get a five minute head start? I don't want to die, you know..." Youhei mumbled and smiled, slowly backing along the sidewalk.

For a second Kyou stared at him with pitiful eyes. "You know what? Here." And she gave him a punch to the face. As he collapsed on the ground, she pulled him back up. "Mind you, if you didn't help me back there, I would have cut off your balls... With a rusted cleaver."

Youhei gulped.

"Anyways, with that bruise on your face, Tomoyo and the others can't say that I didn't teach you a lesson." She beamed.

Youhei sighed. That smile... Why couldn't he resist it?

* * *

He sat next to a window. With a sigh, Tomoya stared out of it into the cool night air.

He thought of his father; of the man who failed to be a parent.

Why did his father choose to be such a worthless man, and why was Okazaki Tomoya doomed to be his son?

It made no sense... What did he ever do to deserve such a father?

"Tomoya! Could you help me down here?" He heard her call him.

So that wasn't important now... Now wasn't the time to worry about that failure.

The present is always what one should be concerned about, not the past, after all...

* * *

Tomoyo gave them a curious expression as Kyou dragged Sunohara by the ear over to the three girls.

"Apologize, NOW!" Kyou commanded, tightening her free hand into a fist while the other kept its firm grip on his poor ear.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Youhei moaned, groveling in front of her.

"Not to me, idiot! To them!" And with that she pointed at Kotomi, Ryou, and Tomoyo.

"Um, sis... It's not like..."

"NOW!" Kyou screamed over Ryou's soft objection.

Youhei shuffled a little as she yanked his ear, and groveled in front of the three ladies. Kotomi just stared at him with a confused expression while Ryou looked very worried. Tomoyo, however, had something to say.

"Kyou, thanks for making him apologize, but I think he's penitent enough."

"Really?" Kyou looked down at Youhei, who was whimpering with tears in his eyes. "What do you think, Ryou?" She asked her sister.

"I think we should be nicer to him... He wouldn't have done this if we weren't so hard on him..." Ryou replied timidly.

"Alright, then." She let go of his ear, and though he wanted to crawl away he decided to keep his manly dignity and stand his ground.

"Dammit, Kyou! You witch! I won't let this stand!" Youhei growled.

Kyou sneered. "You always say that, but I always end up beating you senseless and convincing you to do what I say anyway. Therefore, your words are pointless. Got it?"

Youhei glared about at each of the girls, testing them to see their expressions. Kotomi stared back at him dreamingly, her eyes showing that she was thinking about something else. Ryou timidly backed away, intimidated by his glare, while Tomoyo glanced at him with a look that clearly read: "She has a point, you know."

Youhei sighed. Kyou did have a point. Too often he'd just suck up to them and do whatever they said, but he couldn't help it. They would just ignore him otherwise... And of all things what Youhei wanted most was attention and companionship. Even if it was a lie, spending some time with these girls was well worth slaving away for them.

"Fine..." He sulked, walking slowly away with drooped shoulders.

And, just for a moment, Kyou honestly felt sorry for him.

* * *

The next morning, Kyou and Ryou tried talking with Tomoya once more, or it was more like Kyou dragged him over to lunch.

The three kneeled on a large tablecloth that Kyou happened to bring, and with the grass surrounding them the sight really did seem peaceful.

"So, what now?" Tomoya sighed.

"What do you mean, 'what now?' Come on, appreciate Ryou's cooking!" Kyou snarled.

Tomoya sighed. This was so boring... He'd rather be with Nagisa than force himself to hang out with these two...

With his left hand, he fingered the tablecloth Kyou was using as their mat. Kyou noticed this absentminded gesture, and decided to press him on it.

"Tomoya, how are you feeling?" She smiled.

"Bored." He answered coldly. If she would only let him go...

Kyou cringed slightly. "Well... Here, have a bite to eat."

"I'm full, thanks." He nodded, keeping a stern look that told her: "I want to leave, _now_."

Kyou just stared at him as Tomoya slowly got up. "Thanks for the food." He nodded as he walked off.

And she could only stare after him, along with Ryou.

"I'm sorry, sister..." Ryou murmured, but Kyou didn't hear her.

She was too busy staring after him. "What did I do wrong?" She mumbled to herself.

* * *

Kyou found herself walking back home alone, as Ryou had to take care of some disturbance in her class. Apparently Tomoya had suddenly slammed his fist onto his desk during class, shocking everyone in the process.

"What's wrong with him?" She thought aloud.

"Hey, Kyou!" Someone called her name, and Kyou turned around.

And there was Youhei.

"What now?" She crossed her arms.

"Could you help me with this particular homework problem?" Youhei smirked.

Her eyes narrowed. "Sure, hand it over." She extended her hand, and he handed her the paper.

She looked it over, lifted her eyes, and stared at him. "This is easy as heck. Anyone with half a brain could figure it out at this level. Why are you asking me about this?"

"Well, if you can solve that easy problem, why can't you solve something that's even more obvious in front of you?" Youhei asked with a smirk.

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Think about it. Think about Okazaki a little deeper, and then you'll get it." After mentioning Tomoya's name, Kyou saw his smirk turn into a frown, and he began to trudge away, dragging his feet on the ground.

"Youhei, wait..." Kyou called after him, and he stopped.

She walked over to him, her eyes getting watery. "I... I didn't know you cared..."

* * *

"So I've tried and tried, and..." Kyou choked. "And he doesn't give a damn."

Youhei was speechless. What could he say? She loved him... She worked so hard in trying to make Ryou happy, and Tomoya didn't care. Apparently Okazaki didn't give a care about Kyou either, or he'd show it. Now everything was crashing down on itself, and here Kyou was telling Youhei everything.

"Well..." Youhei mumbled.

Kyou wiped her face with her hand. "You don't know what to say, do you?" She sighed at him.

"Um... It's just a crying shame how Okazaki doesn't react to you at all... You're so dedicated to him. I just find it funny, for some reason. He cares about Nagisa, yet unlike her he's not going to hold back from brushing past everyone else and not caring at all about them."

Kyou snarled a little. "I... You... Well, I guess I can't argue with that... But, but you've been his friend for such a long time. Can't you figure him out?"

"Okazaki's not the kind of guy you can figure out even if you were to observe him for a year. He's too complicated for something like that..."

"Then... Then what can I do?"

"Give me a chance." He thought to himself, but instead he decided to keep silent.

"What can I do, Youhei?"

"And you ask me, when you typically enjoy calling me a weed?" Youhei smirked. Damn, he didn't meant it to come out like that!

At that point Kyou was shocked. "So this was all a ruse so that I could get closer to you, is that it? You bastard!" She quickly gave him a punch to the face.

Youhei was thrown back several feet and hit the ground. As he slowly recovered, she started to run off.

"Kyou, wait!" He called.

But she didn't stop.

* * *

_A few days later..._

"Sis... I've noticed something wrong about a member of my class." Ryou mumbled as Kyou fixed her ribbon.

"Hmn?" Kyou cocked her head to the side.

"Sunohara... He comes to class more often, but he always has this gloomy expression. That, and have you noticed how he acts in the drama club? He's just not cheerful anymore. It's weird..."

"Well, maybe reality's finally kicking in. That idiot needs it." Kyou scoffed. If he was going to be so cruel to her, then he probably deserved that.

Then again, she thought as she froze for a second, was he the one really at fault here?

"Sis?" Ryou blinked, noticing that Kyou was spacing out.

"Hmn? Oh, well, we'll just see how things turn out. It's not like you can really do anything for Youhei, right?"

"Right..."

* * *

Kyou walked over to the door of the drama club. For once Ryou had actually gotten ahead of her and entered the room already. A few steps before the door, she stopped.

Was she at fault?

She always picked on that Youhei, picked on him because he seemed to enjoy being pathetic. It wasn't right for a boy to be such a wimp:

Always letting girls use him to whatever ends,

Always being the class clown and idiot,

Always showing everyone that no matter how lousy or pathetic they were, there was someone worse than them.

It just wasn't right...

But maybe she went too far...

Every guy had a sense of pride, she knew this. Yet few guys would actually invest their time in trying to help a girl, and Youhei seemed to know exactly how Kyou was hurting... He knew how she liked Tomoya and how Tomoya didn't give a damn, and for some reason he knew that she was trying to hook Tomoya up with Ryou.

Yet, somehow, there were several things he didn't know, which proved that he wasn't a stalker. He was merely observant.

Kyou stroked her chin a little. Why did he care so much about her?

With a sigh, she walked over to the drama club room's door and pushed it open. "I guess I'll get my answer sooner or later..." She thought as she spotted Nagisa walking up to her.

* * *

1. Basically, Youhei stops in his tracks, then uses his foot to jump back to where Kyou is, and pulls Kyou out of the way. Since he's pulling her towards him, he moves forward, but because he's pulling her out of the way, they both end up out of the bike's path. Yeah. Physics still applies in the CLANNAD world (except for the lights, of course). XD


	3. Realizations

Realizations

"So have we finally gotten the Choir Club off our backs?" Kyou asked when everyone sat down.

"Far from it... They're still giving us trouble. With things as they are we might need to do something extreme." Tomoya grumbled.

"If Nagisa won't go the distance and actually 'convince' them by force, then pointless talk isn't going to get us anywhere..." Youhei snarled.

"But we can't use violence, Youhei! Even if they're unfair, we shouldn't hurt them..." Nagisa stammered.

"Then what else would you suggest? They're pushing us around because they think that we won't do anything to object. Talking is a good way, but the way we've been approaching this is making them look down on us and just ignore us. We need to take more desperate measures..." Youhei sighed.

"You do have a point, but we can't afford to get in trouble, can we?" Kyou spoke.

Ryou looked over at Nagisa. "Um, I think you guys are getting too rash..."

"Sometimes you need to do things that are 'rash' in order to get the job done." Youhei retorted.

"Yeah... So c'mon, Nagisa. Let's go give them a talk, face to face. We've just been polite and courteous, and that hasn't gotten us anywhere." Tomoya spoke, taking her by the hand and leaving the room.

"Will... Will those two make it this time?" Kotomi turned, staring at Kyou.

"Who knows?" Kyou sighed, shaking her head.

And with that answer Kotomi turned her glance to the window, lost in thought yet again.

A few moments passed with the four of them just sitting around staring at nothing, when Kyou stood up.

And walked out the door.

Youhei watched her leave, and Ryou noticed that he looked curious. Soon, he got up, and slowly exited the room.

* * *

Kyou huddled herself behind the door of the Choir club.

She heard a hiss behind her. "Doing some fieldwork for them, eh? They'll be fine by themselves. Nagisa might be too soft, but Tomoya's with her. You know how he is." Youhei sighed.

"Even if Tomoya isn't easily tricked, what makes you think..."

"They'll be safe? Look, Sugisaka might be something to worry about, but do you think she'd really attack against Nishina's judgment?"

"Sugisaka did threaten Nagisa before... You're the one who figured that out. Nishina's soft, like Nagisa, and because of that Sugisaka's like you in that she'd be more then ready to make a strike for the choir club. Can Tomoya and Nagisa really be safe?"

"Well... I don't think Sugisaka would sacrifice everything in the Choir club. If she attacked those two, Nishina's dreams would be dashed just like that. Besides, if the Choir club isn't planning to do anything extreme, and if they spot you like this, then wouldn't that be embarrassing as heck?" Youhei smiled.

"You're included, you know." Kyou's eyes narrowed as she grabbed his arm. "But, you're right, it's better for us to trust them instead of making ourselves look like paranoid idiots. Let's go."

And with that the pair slipped away.

* * *

As they were heading back to the Drama Club's room, Kyou decided to break this silent stroll.

"Youhei, is everything alright? I've noticed that you're not so chipper anymore."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"If you say so..."

And for a few moments, they continued walking silently.

But Kyou suddenly raised her eyebrow, and decided to lengthen the conversation.

"Youhei..."

"Hmn?"

"Why did you follow me out, anyway?"

"Well... I... Um... You looked concerned, and I was worried about it, so I decided to see what you were up to."

"For all you know I could have been taking care of something private."

"And if that was the case, I'd leave and head back to the room, simple as that."

And Kyou's flood of harsh words stopped right there. "Well, um..." She was caught speechless.

"Anyways, if I hadn't followed you, you'd be stuck standing in front of a door for at least an hour huddled like you're some thief waiting for the security guard to leave."

"Well, yeah, that would be a major waste of time."

"See? So it's a good thing that I followed you." Youhei grinned.

"I guess you're right..." Kyou sighed. It was strange. She didn't find this annoying, even if he did seem a bit too nosy.

* * *

Ryou and Kotomi stood in that room, with only each other, since Kyou, Tomoya, and the others left

Ryou glanced at Kotomi, and noticed that Kotomi was staring blankly out the window.

"Kotomi?" Ryou spoke up, stepping towards the other girl. "What are you thinking about?"

"What kind of food does Tomoya like?" Kotomi turned to Ryou with a dreamy expression.

"Eh?"

"That's what I was thinking about..." Kotomi blinked, and cocked her head to the side.

"Oh..." Ryou nodded, her face beaming with interest, but Kotomi stared at her blankly again.

"Kotomi?" Ryou asked again, but this time Kotomi ignored her.

Ryou continued calling Kotomi's name, but she still didn't notice.

"Kotomi-chan!"

"Oh, Ryou... Hi..."

"Um, what were you thinking about this time?"

"Your eyes look every healthy."

Ryou was quite surprised. "Um... Thank you..."

Kotomi nodded, and turned to the door.

"Kotomi?"

Once again, Ichinose ignored her and walked towards the door.

"Kotomi-chan."

"Oh, Ryou... Um... Did they say when they'd get back?" Kotomi blinked.

"No, they didn't." Ryou replied with a confused expression.

"Oh." And with that Kotomi walked back over to the window, and stared out of it again.

Ryou stood for a few moments, then got bored and asked yet again. "Kotomi-chan?"

"Hmn?"

"What are you..."

"The sunset is beautiful..."

Ryou looked surprised as she walked over to the window. When she saw the sunset, she smiled. "Yeah. It is."

"But it looks like it might rain." Kotomi pointed at a grayish cloud in the distance.

"Oh..." Ryou's smile quickly became a frown.

* * *

Tomoya and Nagisa walked out of the Choir club. Tomoya had a ticked expression, while Nagisa looked troubled. They both entered the Drama Club to find Ryou and Kotomi almost huddled together, staring out the window.

Tomoya smirked. This scene was interesting...

"Ryou? Kotomi?"

The two girls immediately turned their heads. "Oh, Nagisa, good to see you!" Kotomi smiled while Ryou nodded.

Nagisa smiled back at them. "Yes." She nodded.

"So, um, did everything go well?" Kotomi asked.

"Um..." Nagisa scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

"They won't accept our terms... Sunohara was right... We might need to do something..." Tomoya groaned, raising his arm, flexing it, and clenching his hand into a fist.

"No! We can't do anything rash or mean!" Nagisa grabbed his arm.

"That's right! It's better to be nice and try to convince them." Ryou added.

"Besides, have either of you seen Sunohara?" Tomoya asked, looking around.

"No... He left with my sister, and they've both been gone ever since." Ryou replied, a confused look in her eyes.

"Really?" Tomoya smirked. He stroked his chin a little.

"What is it?" Nagisa turned to him.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Let's see what happens later, then." Tomoya waved his hand.

* * *

"So remind me why we're wandering around here again." Kyou crossed her arms and gave him a raised eyebrow.

They were in the middle of one of the many halls in the school. So many of them looked exactly the same, so if someone were to just wander around, it wasn't difficult to get lost.

"Um... I was just going to wander around... I didn't expect you to follow me." Youhei gave a light smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"Right... So you expected me to just head back to the Drama Club by myself as if our conversation never happened." Kyou's eyes narrowed.

"What conversation?"

Kyou sighed. "Never mind..."

But as she turned and started walking back to the clubroom, Youhei ran over and stopped her.

"Wait... Let's head back together."

"Humph. Fine..."

As they strolled along, Kyou felt that the silence was killing her, so she decided to talk.

"I think that the meeting of the choir club ended up as a failure, otherwise Ryou would be calling me with the good news."

"Really?"

"'Really' what?"

"Ryou would actually believe that you care?"

And with that Kyou rewarded him with a punch to the face.

"Gah!" Youhei staggered back a few steps.

"That's what you get for making lame jokes." Kyou snarled.

"I'm sorry!"

"Humph."

"Anyways, I think you're right about that. Nagisa's too soft to really make any demands, and Tomoya would probably restrain himself in order to keep her from feeling bad or getting in trouble."

"Exactly." Kyou nodded. "So you were the one who thought we should use force, but even if that would get us in trouble, it's the thought that counts. How can we be forceful without actually hitting them?"

"That's the big question, since Nagisa's our Club President." Youhei nodded sagely.

"So you're saying Nagisa isn't fit for the job?" Kyou glared at him.

"No, no... She's fine when it comes to taking care of us. But when it comes to obstacles like these, she has a hard time going over them. Now if someone like you were in charge..." Youhei's eyes widened and he stopped mid sentence.

"Go on." Kyou spoke suddenly, her eyes betraying her curiosity.

"Then... Well... Then something like this could be easily managed!" Youhei laughed slightly.

"You wanted to say something else, didn't you?" Kyou crossed her arms and gave him a death glare.

"Um..."

"Oh, I know. You were going to say that I'd probably kill them during dinner with a rusted cleaver or something."

"Uh..."

"What? Did I get straight to the point?"

"Um..."

"Give me an honest answer!"

"I... Uh... I was going to say that you'd probably break their noses by throwing every dictionary in your backpack, but you got the point..."

"Hmn... So you hate me, don't you?"

"Wha-? I..."

"I don't blame you, really. I hated you too. You were the one who made my sister get so many headaches, trying to think of a way to keep her class well. Last year, when I was Class Rep, you'd give me plenty of headaches too. That, and being associated with the worst student in the school, since I enjoyed hanging out with Tomoya, was not a good thing at all. You had lousy grades, you did countless stupid things, and you always got in trouble. For anyone to _like_ being within five meters of you, well, that person would be clearly insane."

"But, Kyou..." Youhei was quite shocked. Didn't he save her from getting hit from a bike a few days back? Why was she still so hostile?

Before he could continue, Kyou waved him off. "But I think that we should let past be past. You might be an idiot, but you're not a bad guy. It's not like you enjoy making Ryou's life miserable, you just make mistakes a thousand times more often than a normal person... And you don't tend to learn from them. You're an idiot, yet at the same time you give good advice more often than not. That makes you, well, interesting."

"Um..." He honestly couldn't think of anything to say.

"That, and, well, unlike Tomoya you honestly care about people, even if you don't know how to not piss them off sometimes."

"Uh..." Youhei blinked. Did a girl just say indirectly that he was a sweet guy?

For a few moments, the two just stared at each other. "Hello? I just complimented you. Why are you staring at me like that?" She blinked.

Youhei shook his head. "Um, er... It's nothing..."

"Huh. Whatever. If we don't hurry back now, we'll have to return to an empty clubroom."

"Yeah, so let's get going."

And both sprinted off back to the Drama Club room.

* * *

"Ah, so you two made it back." Kotomi greeted them.

"Sister, are you ok? You took a while..." Ryou blinked.

Kyou waved her hand. "It's nothing. Youhei and I just went for stroll."

Youhei wisely kept silent, knowing that if he said anything else, Tomoya might take it the wrong way.

"A stroll? Is that what they're calling it..." Tomoya opened his mouth and chuckled, but before he could finish his sentence a dictionary flew forward and slammed itself into his forehead.

"Yes, we had a 'stroll,' a walk. Read that if you don't know what a 'stroll' is." Kyou pointed at the dictionary and crossed her arms.

As Tomoya slowly got up, Ryou looked from Youhei to Kyou. "I never knew..." She mumbled, and Kyou started to panic.

"Wait! Ryou, don't let Tomoya confuse you!" Kyou waved her arms frantically.

"And she has to deny it so quickly..." Youhei mumbled.

Tomoya smirked when he looked at Kyou and Youhei. This could make for some decent blackmail.

* * *

In Sunohara's messy room, the two boys sat face to face at the sides of Youhei's table.

"Geez, Okazaki. Just when I thought I could..." Youhei cut himself off as he plopped his head on the table.

"Admit it, you're going to stay single."

"Damn it, don't say that!" Youhei growled.

"I can't tell a lie." Tomoya shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands.

"Geez... What kind of a friend are you, anyway?" Youhei groaned, slamming his face into the desk.

* * *

That night, Kyou sat on her bed.

"He looked disappointed... Was he really?..." She mumbled to herself again.

"There's no point denying it, sister."

"Eh? Ryou? Why... There's nothing, honest!"

"You should try to make yourself happy, and be honest." Ryou smiled. "Tomoya might not care about you, but Youhei does."

"Yeah, but, he's an idiot..."

"And who says you aren't sometimes?" Ryou thought to herself, but thought it best not to say anything.

"An idiot... Bad grades... Always gets in trouble... And I'm the class rep...

"Even then, well, he's a nice guy. He cares about people and usually wants to get along with everyone.

"But does this mean that I?... I?..."

And as Kyou stared confusedly at the window, Ryou slowly walked out of her sister's room. It was best to let her big sis think about this, after all.


	4. Show Courage!

Just watched the Opener for CLANNAD After Story, and I swear that it's any CLANNAD fan's wetdream. Honestly. Though it slams Nagisa into the face of anyone who still has hope for Tomoya being with another girl, it also allows Kyou, Kotomi, and Tomoyo's roles in the After Story to shine. Yes, Kotomi and Tomoyo kind of disappeared during After Story, but I trust that Kyoto Animation will help bring those two wonderful girls into the life of Ushio and Tomoya... Tomoya will need both of them if what happened in the Visual Novel's bad end comes true...

Show Courage!

As the Drama Club regrouped the next day, Youhei was the first to walk to the blackboard (or is it greenboard?) with his arms crossed. With a smirk, he went and picked up a piece of chalk and a ruler, then wrote on the board:

"Battle Tactics."

Nagisa suddenly let out a shocked squeal. "Sunohara, we can't!"

But Kyou put her hand on Nagisa's shoulder. "Let him say what he has to first."

With a smile, Youhei continued writing.

"Mission: Operation Dramatize.

Goal: To Recruit Toshio Koumura as Teacher/Advisor.

Terms: Rival Team "Choir Club" must be convinced to share Koumura by any means necessary."

With that he placed the piece of chalk down, and smacked the blackboard with the ruler where the word "battle" was (or whichever word comes first in the Japanese translation for the phrase 'battle tactics,' since I don't know Japanese.)

"Men! Today we will make sure that the Drama Club will not be defeated again! Last year, our predecessors, the former Drama Club, were forced to disband due to terrible circumstances that we cannot mention. Only by learning from their mistakes can we live to avenge them. General Nagisa, I leave you with the details of how we will conduct this operation." With that, Youhei gave Nagisa a military salute and went to a seat.

Kyou stared at Youhei for a few seconds, and back to Tomoya. "Did he have a little too much coffee this morning?"

"No idea." Tomoya shrugged his shoulders.

Nagisa stepped to the front of the room. "Um... We tried talking to them, but they wouldn't listen."

Youhei spoke again. "Which is why we must use a different strategy. Diplomacy isn't the only way to solve problems."

Kyou's eyebrow twitched, and she opened her mouth. "Youhei! You've been playing too much Command and Conquer or something. Honestly, we aren't in a barracks, you know!"

"Um... He... He doesn't have a laptop, and neither do I..." Tomoya gave an embarrassed smile.

"Oh... Um... You're missing out!" She smirked at Sunohara. "Ahahaha... Don't mind me..."

"Sis's been playing too many games lately..." Ryou mumbled to Kotomi, who kept her blank stare. She was thinking about something else, as usual.

"... So... So what can we do?" Nagisa blinked, noticing that everyone was going off topic.

"Huh... Sunohara, come here for a sec." Tomoya waved him over, and the two men huddled together in a corner of the room.

"What are you two doing?!" Kyou crossed her arms.

"It's nothing, honest!" Youhei called back, but Tomoya pulled him closer to him.

"Alright, remember how Yukine had a bunch of charms and such?" Tomoya whispered in Youhei's ear.

"Yeah."

"And how Ryou's fortune telling always fails?"

"Yeah..."

"You think there could be a charm to help us right now?"

"Um..."

"What?"

"Okazaki, are you going crazy?"

"Why?"

"What could a charm do for us now?"

"It's better than just sitting here and saying whatever nonsense that pops in our heads, right?"

"Well..."

"Tomoya, Youhei, what are you two talking about over there?" Kyou groaned.

"It's nothing at all, Kyou!"

"Nothing my foot! You've been blabbering on for a good five minutes over there."

"You're just exaggerating things and you know it." Youhei sighed.

"Well, you're leaving most of the room out of your little chat in that corner, so I have to make everyone hear it. Why should we trust that you two aren't plotting something?!" Kyou snarled.

"Because we're not!"

"Whatever... We'll be back in a few. You guys come up with more ideas 'till then." And with that Tomoya dragged Youhei out of the room.

* * *

"Oh, Okazaki, Sunohara, it's been a while." Yukine smiled when the two entered the reference room.

"That's right, Yukine. Have you been doing well?" Sunohara beamed while Tomoya facepalmed.

"I haven't been having many people visit lately... So, what's up?"

"Um... I'm doing alright..." Youhei scratched the back of his head.

Tomoya got straight to the point. "Yukine, do you still have that book of charms?"

"Oh, right here." She walked over to a shelf and pulled it out.

"Well, do you know of a charm that can predict outcomes for a situation?"

"Okazaki, aren't we..." Youhei spoke, startled by Tomoya's bluntness.

"Well, it's not in this charm book, but I do have an old fortune telling book that uses the zodiac." Yukine smiled.

"Hmn... Hey, Sunohara, why don't you try it?" Tomoya smirked.

"Why don't you?!" Youhei growled back.

"Fuji..."

"I'll do it..." Youhei sighed, though now he looked hopeful.

* * *

"So... Your lucky color is orange, and your lucky word is basketball..." Yukine mumbled as she read the book.

"Orange... Basketball... Okazaki, wouldn't this be your cup of tea?" Youhei turned to Tomoya.

Tomoya shrugged his shoulders. "But it's your fortune."

"Wait, there's more." Yukine raised her hand to get their attention. "You are a very caring person, but people don't see it easily... If you show how you truly care about them, these people will be touched..."

At this point Youhei jumped up. "That's it! Why didn't I see this earlier?

"See what?" Tomoya raised his eyebrow, but Yukine continued.

"... By being persistent and brave, by challenging what seems impossible, others will be touched by that courage."

Youhei smirked. "I get it..."

"Huh?" Tomoya blinked.

"Okazaki, I'm going to be gone for a while... Tell Kyou not to worry. Thanks a bunch, Yukine. I owe you one." Youhei smiled, bowed, and ran off.

"What could he be thinking? Oh, well..." Tomoya sighed.

* * *

"Hmn? Tomoya? Where's Youhei? Wasn't he with you?" Kyou asked the moment Tomoya entered the Drama Clubroom.

"He ran off somewhere. I have no idea what he's doing."

"Eh? Didn't he tell you?"

"Not at all..."

"Huh..." Kyou looked concerned.

Behind her back, Tomoya smirked. Oh, yeah, he could really blackmail those two.

"But Tomoya, we, um, need to think of a way to convince the Choir club. With Youhei gone, we'll need to think of a plan with one less person..." Nagisa mumbled.

"Right..." Tomoya sighed.

"I'll... I'll be back in a second." And with that Kyou left the room.

"Make that two people..." Tomoya groaned. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

_Thud... Thud... Thud..._

The sound of a basketball bouncing against the pavement was the only sound Kyou heard as she finally reached the school's field.

"I haven't seen him anywhere else... He isn't in his dorm, and he wasn't at the cafeteria, or anywhere else where people would normally hang out... So he's got to be here, but why?" She thought to herself as she walked ahead.

And, sure enough, there was Youhei, with a basketball in hand, about to make a shot.

She crossed her arms and decided to watch him before saying anything.

"C'mon..." She heard him mumble. "I have to get this right..."

And he jumped and shot...

And it went in.

"Whew..." Youhei smiled.

"Youhei." She spoke his name, and he suddenly fell on the ground.

"Wha-? Kyou?"

"The other Drama Club members are smashing their heads together thinking of a plan to help us convince the Choir Club to stand down, and yet you're here playing basketball?" She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Um..." Youhei smiled, his face turning red out of embarrassment.

"So?"

"You wouldn't understand..."

"No, I don't... But you can tell me so that I will, right?" She calmed down a little. Accusing him wouldn't help any, after all.

* * *

Kyou and Youhei did not return to the Drama Clubroom that day, and when Tomoya met Youhei the next morning at Sunohara's dorm...

"So where were you yesterday?" Tomoya smirked. Something must have happened between the two of them.

Youhei shivered a little. "Um, well, you see..."

Tomoya raised an eyebrow. Did Kyou try to cut it off, or what?

"Tomoya... Um..."

"Yeah?"

"Well, get your P.E. Clothes ready, alright?

"Huh?"

"Yeah... I'll explain myself more in detail in the afternoon."

"Alright, then..." And with that Tomoya left Youhei in the dorm while he headed to class.

* * *

Sure enough, Kyou and shortly afterwards Youhei entered the Drama Club room in their P.E. uniforms, and Youhei was carrying a basketball.

"Tomoya! I thought Youhei told you to get your uniform ready." Kyou greeted Tomoya the moment she saw him, since he was wearing his normal school uniform.

"He did, but... What's going on?" Tomoya spoke, his eyes wide in surprise.

Kyou narrowed her eyes and decided to ignore him. Turning to Nagisa, she spoke. "Nagisa, Youhei made the perfect plan for us to convince the Drama Club!"

"Hmn? What kind of plan is it?" Nagisa asked, curious.

"We've already told them our terms. Basically we're playing a basketball game against the Basketball Team themselves. If we win, the Choir club has to take note of our spirit and agree to share Koumura. If we lose... Well... We have to basically be the technical staff and all that for the Choir club in the rest of their performances for this year."

"Which means it's either win or lose, have you thought about that?" Tomoya sighed.

"I have, that's why I made Youhei go through a bunch of training."

"Then what makes you think I'm better than a trained Sunohara? You know that I can't raise my right arm!"

"I know that, but you're more in shape than Youhei is... Also, you can serve as a decoy while Youhei and I score again and again!"

"I don't know whether to laugh at that or cry..." Youhei groaned to himself.

"Denied. I'm not going to go through such a stupid plan." Tomoya shook his head.

"What? But Nagisa's counting on you!" Kyou protested.

"No. Nagisa, do you support this?"

Nagisa smiled. "We've tried talking to them, and we've failed all the time. I don't see why we can't use this strategy and see if it works..."

"But if we lose..."

"I have confidence in Youhei and Kyou. They won't fail us."

"Nagisa, if Tomoya isn't man enough to go on the field with Youhei and I, then can I represent you and him as leader of the Drama Club's Basketball team?" Kyou asked with a smirk.

"And I'm always a lower rank, huh?" Youhei sighed.

"Well, you're the Vice President... Tomoya's just the Deputy President. You already represent us if I'm not there..." Nagisa mumbled.

"Great! It's settled, then. Youhei, let's go!" Kyou smiled as she headed for the door.

"Wait! Kyou, there's only two of us!" Youhei called.

"We're getting Tomoyo involved."

"Why would she, of all people, help us?"

"Why wouldn't she? I'm a Class Rep. I know a bit about what the Student Council is doing, and recently they have few headaches to worry about. Tomoyo can easily sacrifice a day for us."

"... If you say so..." Youhei shivered. This would not be a good game for him...

* * *

"I'm sorry... But I don't really have time for games..." Tomoyo shook her head when Kyou and Youhei tried talking with her.

"Think about it this way, Tomoyo. If you win, people will think even more highly of you." Youhei offered.

"To gain popularity by using such ulterior motives is wrong..." Tomoyo replied with a frown.

"Well... Tomoyo, you must have it really hard as Student Council President..." Kyou spoke.

"And?"

"Well, I'm a Class Rep, so I understand what you have to go through to a degree. You have to deal with a bunch of idiots like him every day, right?" Kyou pointed at Youhei with her thumb.

"Well, yes..." Tomoyo nodded.

"Why me?..." Youhei groaned.

Kyou and Tomoyo ignored him. "So, if that's the case, don't you want to have some fun for a little while and forget about all that stress?" Kyou smiled, hoping for the answer she wanted to hear.

"Well... True... But I would be neglecting my duties." Tomoyo nodded, but stroked her chin in worry.

"Tomoyo, everyone knows that you are very diligent, and your fellow Student Council Members are more than qualified to handle one day without you guiding them... I should hope... You'll be fine. C'mon, play a game of basketball with us!"

"You're right. They could handle a day without me just fine... Very well, I'll join you."

"Excellent! Get your clothes on now."

"You mean right now?"

"Yep, we're going to have a practice session. Youhei!"

"Huh?" Youhei looked over at Kyou.

"We've got Tomoyo with us. Now we'll have to practice as a team if we want to win!"

And with that the three ran off to the basketball court.

* * *

_BAM!_

"Youhei! Pay attention to the ball!" Kyou yelled when Sunohara got hit in the face from Tomoyo's pass to him, again...

"Don't be a pervert!" Tomoyo added with a snarl.

"... Why me?" He groaned again as he got up.

* * *

Night began to fall, and soon the basketball court was covered in darkness.

"I should be heading out... When is the match, exactly?" Tomoyo asked.

"Two days from now, around 4 PM. We had a good practice today, and I'm sure we'll win!" Kyou smiled.

"... As long as Sunohara doesn't do something stupid." Tomoyo sighed.

"Even if he did, we'd be able to make up for it, I'm sure." Kyou looked away, a little embarrassed at Youhei's blunder earlier.

"..." Youhei was completely speechless.

* * *

The next day, as the Drama Club gathered together before the basketball match, Tomoya groaned aloud.

"I can only hope that you won't cause both Kyou and Tomoyo to lose, Sunohara."

"Why is it that all of you pick on me so much? Morale is an important thing to have, and without it people can't perform that well. Why not support me instead of putting me down?" Sunohara groaned just as loudly.

"Well..." Kyou mumbled, a little moved by his wailing.

"Well, history says that you have messed up countless times, so it's safest if we see history's patterns and make sure that it won't repeat itself. By insulting you, we try to make you get angry, and in sports if a person is angry they'll perform better since they want to win to make themselves feel better." Tomoya smirked.

"Yes, but history has also shown that armies without morale or a sense of 'team spirit' are easily crushed since members of the unit don't trust or support one another! Right now you're ganging up on me, and how can I be so certain that you won't try to slam me in the back with a basketball just to make sure that I'm not trying to slack off?!" Youhei growled back.

"Well, I'm not playing." Tomoya sneered.

"But you're a cheerleader!"

"What?"

"That's right. You're our second cheerleader. Nagisa's our main one, after all."

"You take that back!" Tomoya clenched a hand into a fist.

"Now, now, stop being childish, both of you." Kyou sighed as she came in-between them.

"Kyou, not getting violent but actually stopping a fight? That's unheard of..." Youhei thought.

"You're right, Youhei, we are a team. So if you do your best, and not make a bunch of stupid mistakes, then it's our job to support each other as a team. Tomoya, you are on the sidelines rooting for us, so you can't insult any of us when we're on the field. Instead, cheer for us, no matter what happens."

"Fine..." Tomoya sighed.

"Kyou..." Youhei's eyes started to water.

* * *

The big day came...

The basketball team captain triumphantly leaned against the side of the basketball pole.

"So you Drama Club members seriously think you can give us a good match? Give me a break!" He let out a laugh.

Kyou, Youhei, and Tomoyo stood, all three fully ready to show the Drama Club's athletic prowess.

"Hmph, wipe that smile off your face when you still can." Kyou smirked.

"Well, I expect a good match from the three of you challengers. Don't disappoint us." The basketball team captain smirked right back. "You three!" He called to three first years in basketball uniforms. "Go and accept their challenge on behalf of the basketball team!"

"We're facing three rookies? Do they think so little of us?" Youhei raised an eyebrow.

"No matter what, let's win this and force them to reconsider." Tomoyo shook her head.

"Alright, both of you. Cut the chit-chat. We have a game to win!" Kyou sneered as she readied herself.

* * *

Ryou and Kotomi cheered the three of them on from the sidelines...

And so was Nagisa...

But Tomoya could only stare at her.

"Nagisa... To think we've gone this far... Now the Drama Club's allied with the Student Council President, and our second in command is making challenges with powerful people. To think that you used to be so shy and that no one knew you..." Tomoya mumbled.

* * *

"Damn, I've been cut off... Sunohara!" Tomoyo threw the ball to him.

Catching it, Youhei dodged the enemy player who tried to block him. "Hiyaah!" He shot...

And scored...

"Whew! Who's the best, huh?"

"Youhei, stop letting your guard down! We're only beating them by four!" Kyou yelled at him.

"Um... Right..."

* * *

"Amazing... For them to hold out for so long..." Sugisaka mumbled.

"I guess the Drama Club's as passionate about what they do as we are." Nishina smiled.

* * *

"Sister! Youhei! Tomoyo! Do your best!" Ryou cheered.

"Make us all proud!" Kotomi added excitedly.

"Hang in there!" Nagisa added.

"Don't ruin our chances of victory, Sunohara!" Tomoya chuckled loudly.

"Damn you...!" Youhei growled.

"Shut it, Tomoya! We don't need that right now!" Kyou added.

"Kyou..." Youhei raised an eyebrow in surprise, but she ignored it. Catching a pass from Tomoyo, Kyou shot and scored.

"That was a three pointer... Our team may win this one yet..." Kotomi mumbled.

* * *

Soon enough, the score was 16 to 10.

"We're at the halfway point... This cannot continue... If we lose here, we'll lose the match." The basketball captain thought.

"That's it! Member change!" And with that the Basketball team switched their rookies with their regulars.

"Youhei! Will you be alright?" Kyou called to him.

"Don't worry about me!" Youhei laughed, though she saw him pant a little.

"Kyou, will you be fine?" Tomoyo asked. "I know that I can handle this."

"Hmph, you don't need to ask me, Tomoyo. This is a cinch. All we have to do is maintain our lead. So let's do this!" Kyou sneered as she readied herself.

* * *

One shot later, the score was at 16 to 13.

"So quick!" Youhei gasped.

"Shut it! We have to win this!" Kyou yelled at him.

"Don't let one setback break our team! We can only win if we're together on this!" Tomoyo reminded both of them.

* * *

And so, slowly, the basketball team caught up with them.

"We're at 18 to 19..." Youhei gasped.

"Kyou!" Tomoyo passed the ball over to their captain.

"Youhei!" Kyou passed it over to him.

As the basketball members cut him off, and as the other basketball member who was blocking Tomoyo ran over to him to steal the ball, Youhei smirked. "Tomoyo!" He threw the ball to her.

Tomoyo gulped, and as the basketball member quickly ran towards him, she jumped and shot...

The ball hit the board, and made a dent in it as it ricocheted back.

Youhei quickly jumped and caught the ball, and as the basketball player tried to block him, he gulped and threw it...

"We only have a few seconds left!" Nagisa shouted frantically.

The ball glided towards the net, and went in...

With that, the whistle was blown.

"20 to 19, Drama Club wins." The referee announced.

For a second, Youhei could only stare at the basket. How the heck was he able to get it in at that moment? That was a mystery that only fate could answer.

Tomoyo gave him a smile as she walked back to the sidelines, where the rest of the Drama Club was watching. Kyou, well, she walked over to the Choir club.

"See? In the Drama Club even our worst member can pull off something as great as that. Can you do the same?" She smirked.

"Well... Let us share Koumura." Nishina smiled, while Sugisaka was forced to bow her head. The Choir club lost their bet.

"Wow, for once you actually pulled off a victory." Tomoya smirked.

"Yes, the idiot proved to be useful." Tomoyo gave a light smile too.

"Even when I do succeed, you still make fun of me! GAH!" Youhei screamed.

And with that, the Drama Club was finally victorious...


	5. Drama Unfolds

An update so soon? Gasp!

Well, let's just say that I got ides for this fic _really_ quickly... And leave it at that. XD

Drama Unfolds

"Tomoya, why didn't you invite your father to our victory party? My parents were there, our whole Club was there, and you even invited Misae and Mei over, but you didn't let your father come too... Why didn't you?" Nagisa cocked her head to the side as the two of them walked to school the next morning.

"... I don't want to talk about it." Tomoya shook his head and kept on going.

"Hey! You two!" Kyou yelled as her scooter flew past Tomoya and stopped a few feet ahead.

"Yeah?" Tomoya sighed.

"Thanks for inviting Ryou and I! Last night was a blast!"

"Thanks for coming." Nagisa gave a little bow.

"Nagisa... You don't have to be so formal. Lighten up! You don't want Tomoya to feel weird, do you?"

"Um..."

"Don't you have to head to class early?" Tomoya crossed his arms.

"What's with that look? I just came to say hi. Hmph..." And with that Kyou revved her motor and drove off.

"Tomoya..." Nagisa mumbled.

"I don't want to talk about it."

* * *

"You!" She snarled as she banged on the door.

With a snort, he answered from inside the room. "What is it?"

"Do you want to fail the class and retake a grade?"

"I've passed so far, haven't I?"

"Don't give me that crap! There's a test today."

"Tell the teacher... That I'm sick..."

"I am going to break down this door, and you're going to have to pay Misae, not me."

"... Besides, if there was a test, why did you go to the party?"

"There's a difference between a person who has scores at the top of the class and a person who is at the very bottom. Besides, I'm not even in your class! I don't want Ryou to have to suffer by having you bring the class average _way_ down!"

"I can take the make-up exam..." She heard him snore.

"That's it!" And with that Kyou slammed her foot into the door, splintering it.

From a distance Misae sighed. "Who would have thought this would be?" She smiled as Kyou dragged Youhei out of his dorm by the ear.

* * *

Youhei slammed into his desk, head first.

"So you can throw people as accurately as you throw dictionaries?" A male student mumbled as Kyou brushed past him.

Turning around, she yelled: "You better pass!"

"Why me...?" He groaned. (1.)

* * *

Tomoya scribbled on his paper. What was the point of tests, anyway? Pieces of paper shouldn't judge how smart you are...

Beside him he could hear Youhei snoring. Yep, he was going to fail this test, like every other one so far...

* * *

When Tomoya and Youhei entered the Drama Club, Kyou greeted both of them with a deadly glare.

"So, unlike Ryou, who stayed up late last night studying for today's exam, I'll bet that both of you failed." She sighed.

"That's not true! Just watch! We both passed, right Okazaki?" Youhei shook his fist at her while glancing at him.

"Well, um..." Tomoya stared back at him. There were times to be proud and there were times to get real.

"Anyways, Nagisa, tell them the news..." Kyou groaned.

"We... We can't borrow Koumura. I'm sorry, Youhei." Nagisa mumbled.

"What?! Why not?" Youhei growled.

"The Student Council Bureaucraps have declared that sharing advisors is illegal." Kyou sighed.

"Then we should tell Tomoyo!"

"No, you're not going to. If you haven't realized it already, she hates you. Tomoya's probably too lazy to do it, so I will."

"But what about...?" Youhei began to speak, but the glare he got from Kyou made him shut up.

"Well, good luck with that, Kyou." Tomoya sighed, frustrated that everything was going wrong.

"And you're really not coming with me, are you? Nagisa would..." Kyou snarled.

"It's ok, Kyou..." Nagisa waved her hands.

"No, I'll go..." Tomoya sighed. Would that girl ever shut up?

* * *

"Tomoya, you've been so gloomy these past couple days..."

"Yeah, and?"

"The Drama Club is a team. In order for any team to perform its best, each member has to be healthy and happy. You've been the opposite of happy for weeks now, and our club can't function if someone like you can't do his best due to an attitude problem."

"And you think it's your business to know how I live my life?"

Kyou's eyes widened at that, and she immediately shut up...

And as they walked to the Student Council meeting room, both kept silent.

* * *

"I will do what I can to make sure that Koumura will be allowed to help the Drama Club." Tomoyo nodded.

"Thanks, Tomoyo. The Drama Club..." And with that Kyou took a moment to glare at Tomoya. "Really needs your help."

"Tell Nagisa to do her best. She has support not only from you and the other club members, you know."

"Don't worry, Tomoyo. We're all friends here."

* * *

"You guys sure came back fast." Youhei mumbled when they returned.

"Well, what can I say? I'm a smooth talker!" Kyou laughed.

"Anyways, with that out of the way, everything should be smooth sailing from here." Tomoya sighed.

"Thank you, Kyou, for your help!" Nagisa smiled.

"It's nothing, Nagisa." She laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now the only thing we need is for you to be ready. Soon your dream will come true!"

* * *

Sure enough, Koumura was able to help out the Drama Club due to Tomoyo's new regulations, and with that the Drama Club began to prepare the things they needed for their play.

Weeks passed, and in that time they were able to gather all the supplies they needed.

"Costumes... Lights... And all this technical stuff..." Kyou mumbled as she shuffled through their gear.

"How do they pay for this kind of stuff?" Youhei thought as he picked up an expensive light and stared at it.

"Nagisa, the school's willing to pay so much money for all of this... Now we can prove to them that those funds were well spent..." Tomoya put a hand on her shoulder.

"Um... Right..." Nagisa mumbled.

* * *

"Brat! Nagisa's big day is coming. You'd better be supporting her!" Akio growled as Tomoya sat down at their dinner table.

"Of course I am!" He growled back.

"Both of you, you should be eating instead of arguing." Sanae beamed.

"Oh, Sanae, of course." Akio started stuffing his face.

Tomoya could only sigh. Sometimes he wondered if it really was right of him to get involved with this clan...

* * *

"_Kotomi and Ryou will take care of sound... Youhei and I will do lighting... Tomoya, you are our director, and Nagisa is the actress!"_

"_After looking through all these CDs, I think that this one fits what your show would need the best... No need to thank me, and good luck!"_

"_Remember, Nagisa, all those people will be there to see how great you perform. You've worked so hard, and now you can show those people how passionate you are about this... It's passion that makes us do great things, after all..._"

Kyou... Nishina... Tomoyo... They, along with the rest of the Drama and Choir clubs, were supporting her on this. They were helping her or had already played their parts in the fulfillment of her dream.

But the main part still remained in her hands, and for Nagisa the pressure was getting to her head.

"_If you feel nervous, Nagisa, here's a way. You write a character in your hand several times, and swallow it. Keeps your mind occupied. Don't think about being nervous or anything negative, think positive! If anyone can be a great actress in this school, it's you!"_

Youhei had given her this advice before he went with the others to their positions, and now she was all alone behind the curtain.

Slowly, it rose, and she gulped.

What if she failed?

What if she misspoke a line?

What if she made everyone's sacrifice in vain?...

* * *

_With tears in her eyes, she cried..._

_Cried for the fact that her parents had given up everything for her..._

_Cried for the fact that she was so weak, when everyone fought so hard to support her._

_Tomoya and Youhei both had dreams, and they gave them up. But, in her, they saw a chance, and they helped her fight for it._

_Kyou and Ryou were Class Reps... They had more things to worry about than the Drama Club and Nagisa, yet they spent all their time for her..._

_Kotomi could be studying to become the next great genius, but even she was there for her..._

_And Tomoyo, the Student Council President, had so much to do, so much to worry about, and yet she did whatever she could to help their Drama club._

_Why would they all help her?_

_She felt so weak when she thought about all of this..._

_So unworthy of all that support..._

_And at that moment, Akio burst into the doorway._

"_Nagisa! Stand up! Fulfill your own dreams!" He yelled._

"_We didn't give up ours, we merely handed them to you. A child's dream is the parent's dream! That's what being a family means!... Sanae, quickly, you say something too!"_

"_Nagisa, fight! Show everyone how good you really are!" Sanae called from the audience's stands._

_Running out of the studio, Tomoya charged over to the wings and yelled at the top of his lungs:_

"_Same here, Nagisa! It's up to you! Go and fulfill the dreams that Sunohara and I couldn't..."_

_Youhei gulped as he stared down at her from the Studio. Kyou, Ryou, Kotomi, they all stared uneasily as Nagisa slowly dried her tears._

_Tomoyo clenched her hand into a fist as she watched Nagisa. Would this actress be able to pick herself up and fight?_

_Drying her tears, Nagisa smiled._

"_Thank you... Everyone..."_

_And with that, she began her performance._ (2.)

* * *

"At that last moment, Youhei, you almost blinded Nagisa with the spotlight." Kyou mumbled between bites as the Drama Club sat around the Furukawa's dinner table.

"But, but I...!" Youhei panicked.

"It's fine, Youhei. I didn't mind..." Nagisa waved her hands frantically.

"You're lucky it really didn't affect the show..." Tomoya added.

"Stop ganging up on me, will you? The show ended up alright, didn't it? The ends justify the means!" Youhei groaned.

"That isn't a valid excuse if you really don't want to be known as a useless man." Kyou smirked.

"GAH!" He howled.

"But it's so wonderful! We were able to show everyone what the Drama Club's made of!" Kotomi smiled.

"Yes, that was a beautiful performance, Nagisa." Ryou added.

Youhei's face quickly turned into a smile. "That's right. We're worked so hard, and it's all paid off. Be proud, Nagisa, you rock."

"Although Dango Daikazoku might not have been the best song to sing at the end..." Tomoya smiled and gave out a small sigh.

"But I like that song." Nagisa blinked.

"And it did work out. It was a great foil for what happened at the start..." Kyou added.

Nagisa blushed a little, and Tomoya put his hand on her shoulder.

"You did it, Nagisa. And now we're celebrating." He stared into her eyes.

"What's with that dramatic look?" Youhei raised an eyebrow.

Kyou grabbed his ear and pulled him away as Tomoya and Nagisa scooted closer to each other.

But Akio grabbed Sunohara by the collar, and dragged him some distance away. Curiously, Kyou followed.

"You're a close friend with that brat, right?" Akio let out a light growl.

"Um... You mean Tomoya? Well, I guess..." Sunohara smiled uneasily... This guy was intimidating!

"Watch over him and make sure he doesn't do anything weird to my daughter."

"Um, sure..."

"I'm counting on you!"

"Yeah..."

Kyou stroked her chin with a smile as Youhei slowly backed away from Akio.

* * *

For the next few days, the Drama Club just sat pointlessly in their clubroom. With the festival over, there really wasn't anything new for them to do.

So, to pass the time, Youhei played with their unused gear.

"_Nagisa, my love, together we will wander the world, far away from the cruel eyes of society..."_ He spoke one day, hand on his heart.

"Eh?" Nagisa stared at him.

"Huh?" Kyou added.

But Youhei took Nagisa by the hand. _"As your prince, I shall fight the great demons for you. By the gods! There's one right now!"_ Taking a sword prop from one of the boxes lying around, he pointed it at Kyou.

Kyou crossed her arms and gave him the most annoyed expression possible.

"_Begone, evil demon!"_ Youhei growled, thrusting the prop forward.

With a swift kick, Kyou knocked it out of hands. She decided to play along.

"_Gwar! You've been defeated, foolish human!"_ She sneered.

Youhei looked surprised, but smiled. _"No! Nagisa, we must flee!"_

As he began to run from Kyou, with Nagisa in tow, Kyou made a half-arsed attempt to chase them.

Tomoya crossed his arms. "Are you two done?"

With that Kyou sighed. "We're _bored_, Tomoya. People do strange things when they're bored enough."

"But that was quite humorous, though, with Sunohara acting like a prince." Kotomi smiled.

"Hmn... Maybe I should try acting." Youhei stroked his chin.

Kyou stared at him. "Are you serious...?"

"Of course not!" Youhei chuckled. "Of course not..."

* * *

_A month passed without any of them doing anything productive. So, for a short time, the Drama Club disbanded, declaring that they'd regroup near the end of the year for final parties and a second quick project, if they were interested in it._

Tomoya, Nagisa, and Youhei wandered the halls together, bumping into Kyou or Tomoyo every now and then.

Ryou still had to deal with Tomoya and Youhei's low grades, but at least this time they were on speaking terms instead of mostly ignoring each other.

And Kotomi stayed in the library, as usual, but would occasionally go out when Kyou called her...

_And, one day, at the lunch tables, Nagisa asked a special question._

"Sunohara, do you have any plans for your future?"

"Me? Not really... My grades are horrible and I can't get to college with them... My folks aren't really going to support me unless I get myself a job, at this rate..."

"Hmn..."

"Now, if only I had a girlfriend who support me and push me along, I guess, then it could be bearable." Youhei sighed.

"That's it! If we can get you a girlfriend, then everything would be fine!" Tomoya smirked. And if was Kyou, he could probably blackmail the two of them...

Then again, if they chose someone other than Kyou, would she kill them?...

"We're going to ask her." Tomoya decided.

"Who?" Nagisa asked.

"Kyou."

"Eh? But... But I'm... She'll just push me too hard!" Youhei stammered.

"And I thought you wanted that."

"Well..."

"So let's go!" Tomoya marched off, and Nagisa followed. Drooping his head, Youhei followed as well.

* * *

"Denied."

"Kyou?" Youhei gasped.

"You're a good friend, Youhei, a close friend, I should add, but I can't. Don't you realize that there's something called a reputation? Now you might not care about yours, but I have one to uphold if I intend to stay a Class Rep. It's a great bonus for college, and would help me with _my_ goal for the future."

"Your goal?"

"Yes." Kyou nodded. With a smile, she added. "I want to be a kindergarten teacher."

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Tomoya laughed, and Kyou glared at him.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing..."

At that Kyou scoffed.

"But... Kyou..." Youhei mumbled.

"If you depend on others to reach higher, you'll never get anywhere, Youhei. You'll just end up clinging onto that person. People have to be independent and fend for themselves when they need to. Your friends will not always be there for you, even if they want to be. Nagisa was able to do it when she stood there, alone, on the stage, though we were there for her. Your friends might support you, but in the end the journey has to be walked by you and you alone."

"It's not like I'm asking you to..."

"I'm sorry."

And with that Youhei bowed his head and slowly walked away. Defeat can really be a bitch. (3.)

Tomoya and Nagisa glanced at Kyou in surprise, when she looked away.

"_Not yet, at least..."_ Tomoya thought he heard her mumble.

* * *

A few days later, the trio found themselves sitting at the same lunch table.

"So I guess we couldn't find anyone..." Sunohara groaned.

"Well, it wasn't like you were expecting anyone, right?" Tomoya smirked.

"Well... Yeah..."

"But look at it this way, there are other girls outside this school. You'll be living your life in many different places, and in each place you'll have a chance."

"I guess."

"And, look at it this way, you won't be ignored. Whenever I have the time, I'll be sure to give you a kick."

"..." Youhei could only give him a tired glance.

* * *

Months passed, and soon Tomoya and Youhei sat side by side as the teachers gathered at the front of the multipurpose room. Their classmates from the same year sat all around them. Kyou and Ryou were a few seats ahead, and Kotomi was way in the back, they noted. Since she was sick, Nagisa had missed the last week of class, including their finals, so she could not participate today...

"_Now you are all graduates of this prestigious high school. The road has been hard, yes, but now many of you can move on to a higher education. Some of you did not do as well, but, nonetheless, you've come this far, and you can now make your mark on our society._

"_We can only hope that you will continue to pursue a life of humility and excellence that could not be achieved from any other high school. Be proud! You are scholars and people of merit who will make our world a better place."_ The Principal declared.

"Now if only that were true..." Tomoya mumbled and Youhei yawned.

"Okazaki, let's go somewhere to eat. I didn't eat breakfast today..." Youhei shook his shoulder.

"Sure." Tomoya nodded. It wasn't like he had anything else to do...

* * *

At the restaurant, both men spoke of their future.

"Some day, Okazaki, let's meet up back here after a few years have passed. Let's see where the other has gone." Youhei smiled.

"Well, ok. That sounds like a good idea." Tomoya nodded.

"Why aren't you excited?"

Tomoya yawned. "Because I'm tired..."

"Don't be such a downer, Okazaki. Think about it! Our paths'll cross even after all these years!"

"Well, yeah, that would be fun... I can see how low you've gotten."

Youhei shook his head. "Even now, you can be so cruel..."

Tomoya shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "At least you know that I'm always there."

* * *

1. Yes, in this story Sunohara is a lucky bastard. Any more questions?

2. This scene is used in both the Manga and the Anime, I know that for sure. I might have written a few lines closely with the Manga, but that's because they hit home already... I'm also sorry for portraying Tomoya as a jerk to Kyou, but knowing his personality, I'm surprised he hasn't blown his cool from Kyou being so loud, bossy, and annoying around him. That's just how Kyou is, and, in a way, that's why I don't think they're a good match...

Now Youhei on the other hand, he needs someone like her to kick his arse and make him a better man, which is why this fic is taking that path. XD

3. By that word we're referring to a rabid female dog, who is not reluctant in biting you on the rear, I'm sure.


	6. Summer and Winter

So, it looks like updates for this fic have come very quickly. Well, let's just say that I'm at a standstill when it comes to my other fics, and the excitement of After Story makes updates for this story easy. I regret to say, though, that this fic is nearing its end, though this isn't the second-to-last chapter, by any means.

With that said, I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic. XD

* * *

Summer and Winter

_Nagisa..._

The name escaped his lips as the ragged man wandered the streets of the town.

_Nagisa... Why?_

_Why did you leave me alone?_

* * *

It was only a few weeks after Nagisa's graduation.

"Yes, this is the Satsuki dormitory." An old lady's voice murmured.

"Hi, may I speak to Sunohara Youhei? This is Tomoya..." He spoke.

"Wait a moment..."

"Yes? It's me..."

"Sunohara? It's Tomoya."

"Okazaki? Wow, it's been a whole year!"

"Yeah..."

"You wouldn't believe it, but I'm making the big bucks... Gotta new car, and..."

"Are you working for the black market or something?"

"Eh?"

"How would Sunohara Youhei be able to afford a new car in a year?"

"Ha, ha... You're still cruel... But, yeah, things are looking up!"

"Sunohara, listen..."

"Hmn?"

"Nagisa... She didn't go to her graduation ceremony."

"Eh?"

"She didn't have any friends to be with her... Tomoyo was far too busy with her work as Student Council President, and Nagisa was already two years older than everyone else in her grade... She was an adult when she started, when they were still teens. It's a totally different experience, you know? She'd gone through the year twice already..."

"Huh..."

"So... What I'm saying is... Why don't we make a graduation party for her?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Okazaki... I can't join in... You see, my company is really counting on me, and even though I've done pretty well I'm still going through their training program, and..."

"Sunohara..."

"No, seriously, I can't... I might get myself fired... I..."

"Sunohara, I'm begging you..."

"Er... Do you want me to get fired?!"

"You mean a lot to Nagisa."

"I'm the best man, aren't I?"

"Exactly."

"Well, fine, for Nagisa's sake..."

"Perfect! Could you also invite everyone we know?"

"Now that's asking me to do too much!"

"C'mon!"

"... Fine..."

"Excellent, I'll keep in touch with you."

"Yeah. Call me around this time. I'll always be able to pick up."

"Sweet. Be seeing you."

"Yeah, see you..."

* * *

Three days later, Youhei called the Fujibayashi residence.

"Excuse me, is Kyou there?"

"And who might this be?" A deep voice answered. He sounded like her father.

"Um, I'm Sunohara Youhei, a classmate..."

And Youhei heard a 'click.'

"Shoot... Third time already..." He sighed.

"Wait a minute... Ah, I have Ryou's number! Got it from her when I asked for homework help... Good times!" Youhei smirked as he dialed her number.

"Hello?" A girl's voice.

"Ryou? It's me, Youhei."

"Sunohara? Hmn... Nothing's wrong or anything, right? I didn't expect you to call."

"Um... Ryou, Nagisa's having a graduation ceremony since she didn't attend hers... We're trying to get everyone to come. Will you be free?"

"Um... Depends on the day, but I'd be more than happy to attend."

"Sweet... And, uh, do you know how I can contact Kyou?"

"She never gave you her number? Huh... Here..." And Ryou told him the number.

"Thanks a bunch, Ryou. I'll see you there."

"Yes... See you..."

* * *

_And he called Kyou..._

"867-5309..." Youhei mumbled the last few numbers as he dialed them.

"Hello?" Another girl's voice. For some reason, both sister's voices sounded different on the phone.

"Kyou?"

"Yeah, it's me. And who might you be?"

"You're cute."

"Youhei! Is that you?!"

"Heh heh."

"It's been how long, a year?! Why haven't you called me?!"

"I just got your number from Ryou."

"Oh, I never gave it to you? My bad... Ahahaha..."

"So, yeah... I called in order to..."

"I'm still in college and I'd rather focus on my studies, Youhei."

"Wait, what?"

"Aha! I knew you were thinking that!"

"Not... Not at all!" And Youhei actually blushed a little.

"But, anyway, you were saying?"

"Yeah, so Nagisa never went to her graduation ceremony..."

"What?!"

"Let me finish. She really didn't have many friends in the same year as her."

"What about Tomoyo?"

"Well, Tomoyo was too busy with her Student Council President work, as you can imagine."

"Well..."

"So we're planning to set up a Graduation Ceremony for her. I've already invited Ryou, and from her I got your number."

"Ah... By 'we' I'm assuming that Tomoya called you recently and made you agree to do this, right?"

"Er..."

"Heh. Still haven't changed much, I see."

"Hey! I've got a job, now! I bought a new car last month!"

"No kidding."

"Nope, I'm being honest with you."

"Well, maybe you've improved _a little_..."

"Hey..."

"Ha ha, well, that's good to hear. At least you're still considerate for Nagisa. Say..."

"Huh?"

"Where do you work?"

"Satsuki, why?"

"Ah... Going into business and manufacturing, right?"

"Actually, I'm training to be a contractor... To work with sales..."

"Well, good luck with that. I hear the benefits aren't as good as most people would hope."

"Don't talk so loud! I'm in the company dormitory."

"Just like in high school. You know exactly how to break the system."

"Well..."

"Ahaha. Well, I've got midterms in two days."

"Wait... Then I've taken a lot of your time..."

"Don't worry about it. I'm not a slacker like you or Tomoya."

"Hey!"

"Hahaha. But, yeah, I should get back to studying. Ok, then. Call me anytime, and if I'm in class I'll just ignore my phone."

"Huh..."

"Well, I'll be seeing you there, then."

"Ok, be seeing you soon, Kyou."

"I should hope so... You'd better not forget to call me!"

"Of course not... Of course not!"

"Ok, then. See you."

"See you..."

And with that, she hung up.

"I guess she didn't change after all..." Youhei thought as he dialed Tomoyo's number.

* * *

_A few weeks passed, and Tomoya dragged Nagisa over to a park_

"Nagisa, let's hang out over here." Tomoya smiled as they entered the park.

"Ok..." She blinked, quite confused by what Tomoya was doing.

Tomoya continued pulling her along, and she began to get confused.

"Tomoya, where are we going?"

"It's a secret."

"A secret?"

"Yeah... You'll see..."

"So, wait, you have us both wear our school uniforms and go to a park? It doesn't make any sense..."

"Just wait and see."

And with that Tomoya slowly approached a small group of people, who were gathered under a large ribbon. (1.)

"Yo! It's been quite a while." A young man with black hair greeted both of them.

"And who might you be?" Tomoya raised an eyebrow.

"You're still cruel..." He whimpered slightly in front of them.

"Wait, you're Sunohara?"

"Ha ha! Didn't recognize me, did you?"

"What's with the hair?"

"It's my natural color."

"But I'm used to gold. Dye it back."

"Then my company would fire me!"

"Heh." Tomoya smirked.

"Hey! You doing well?" Kyou called from a distance.

"It's been a while." Tomoyo smiled.

And more people appeared: Ryou, Kotomi, Mei, even Nishina, Sugisaka, and Misae.

And finally, Sanae and Akio, along with Koumura, were there.

"So, shall we start?" Koumura smiled.

"Eh?" Nagisa blinked.

"This is a graduation ceremony for Furukawa Nagisa, with all her friends present." Koumura beamed.

With that Kyou and Youhei crossed their arms, and everyone else gave big smiles.

"Everyone..." Nagisa wiped her face a little. She definitely wasn't expecting something like this.

With that, Koumura handed her a special diploma for her alone, and she stood in front of them all, ready to give out her personal graduation speech.

"_When I started high school, I was shy, and found it very difficult to make friends..._

"_Then I went through my second and third years, and was able to make a small circle of people who supported me..._

"_But I became ill, and I was unable to complete my third year..._

"_So, being held back, I was left all alone once again... This time attending the fourth year at this school._

"_And there I was, all alone, at the bottom of the hill._

"_And yet, the one who pushed me forward was Tomoya..._

"_He guided me forward, from the bottom of that hill. He told me that if things came and went, then I should find new things..._

"_New things to make me happy._

"_So, in a short time, I found myself supported by Sunohara, then Kyou, Ryou, and Kotomi._

"_And even from a distance Tomoyo and Koumura-sensei urged me forward._ (2.)

"_I found rivals of sorts in Nishina and Sugisaka, but even they were kind enough to help guide me forward._

"_Together, we ensured the revival of the Drama Club._

"_We challenged the Basketball team and the Student Council..._ (3.)

"_And, together, we were able to prevail._

"_Then, I worked hard during the recitals for the Drama Club's first play for the School Festival._

"_Though I cried at the beginning of the play, I was able to pull through and complete it._

"_It was the first time I set a goal and accomplished it._

"_Someone as simple as I was supported by so many people!_

"_But I fell ill once again, and I found myself lonely at home, with my parents and Tomoya to keep me company..._

"_When spring came, everyone graduated, and Koumura-sensei retired._

"_I was alone, once again, but this time I was strong!_

"_Even though I found it hard to make friends among people who were two years younger than me, I prevailed._

"_I prevailed because I had that support from everyone._

"_So even though I was alone in that last year... I... I don't think my time as a student can ever be replaced._

"_I hated this school once, and it took me five years to graduate._

"_I was left alone and lonely as I attended classes._

"_But now, I love it so much!_

"_In the end, it will always be remembered as a place where I tried hard at... Where I had people who were always there for me..."_ And at that point tears started to fill Nagisa's eyes.

"Congratulations on your graduation!" Koumura smiled after a pause.

From behind Koumura, Sanae, Akio, and even Ibuki-Sensei and Yusuke appeared. (4.)

"Congratulations!" They all added with one voice.

And so that small group stood around Nagisa, celebrating this one amazing day in her life.

* * *

As Tomoya and Nagisa returned to their home, and as everyone slowly began to go their separate ways, Kyou and Youhei stood in that park.

"So here we are... To think that Nagisa thinks so highly of us..." Kyou sighed nostalgically as she stared at the spot where Nagisa made her speech.

"Yeah... Um, Kyou..." Youhei blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head.

"Hmn?"

"Earlier... Um... Earlier you told me..."

"What? Why are you hesitating? If you have something to say, say it." Kyou raised an eyebrow.

"You told me that people have to be independent and fend for themselves when they need to, once..."

"Yeah..." Kyou shifted uneasily. Youhei thought he caught a look of regret on her face.

"Well... It's a good thing that both of us are heading somewhere, right?" Youhei laughed slightly.

"You're hiding something from me again..." Kyou crossed her arms.

"I... Um... Don't really want to talk about it..."

"Too late. I see it on your face. Tell me. You of all people should know how I hate it when people hide things from me."

"Uh..."

"Youhei..."

"Um... Well, I like you, Kyou... I've... I want you to..."

"Sorry. I thought I told you, I can't afford any distractions..."

"But..." He pleaded, staring into her eyes.

"Um..." She looked away.

And the two of them just stood there, uncertain what else to say to each other.

* * *

"_If you depend on others to reach higher, you'll never get anywhere, Youhei. You'll just end up clinging onto that person. People have to be independent and fend for themselves when they need to. Your friends will not always be there for you, even if they want to be. Nagisa was able to do it when she stood there, alone, on the stage, though we were there for her. Your friends might support you, but in the end the journey has to be walked by you and you alone."_

"I'll prove it to her..." He thought to himself. "She still thinks I'll degrade myself or become some worthless house-boyfriend or house-husband while she works her hardest to become a kindergarten teacher. I'll show her! I'll show her that I'll be the best salesperson the world has ever known... And then... And then maybe..." Youhei slammed his fist into his desk. It was so frustrating!

* * *

As she read from her textbook, Kyou finally put it down and buried her face into her hands. Why couldn't she? He wasn't as much of an idiot as he used to be... Like always, she lied to herself... She lied to herself when she insisted that she didn't like Tomoya, and so because of that she approached him the wrong way, and now he was cruel to her. She lied to herself about Youhei, and though she might have lost her status as Class Rep, well, it wasn't like the rest of her application had any flaws that would not have allowed her to reach her dream, right? At least she wouldn't feel lonely like she did now... At least she'd be happy...

And she was lying to herself again. He was distracting her, first of all, and this distraction was one of sorrow, of regret... She wouldn't be thinking happy thoughts about him, no, she would instead constantly ask herself why she pushed him away a second time...

She knew he was perverted. All guys are, but few would actually go up to a girl and declare: "They are fake!" That's why Tomoyo hated him so much, and, come to think of it, Kyou couldn't really blame her.

Yet, yet there was something about the fact that he was always so cheerful, that he'd do whatever it took to help Tomoya out. Loyalty was something that defined Sunohara Youhei. Loyalty, persistence, cheerfulness, honesty (well, with most things, anyway), wisdom, these were the things that defined Sunohara Youhei. Those were his strengths.

When Tomoya would falter in his steps, when he'd stare at the road ahead with uncertainty, Youhei would point him in the right direction, despite the fact that Youhei was often a major idiot who'd make mistakes as often as people sweat.

Kyou knew this because she'd been trailing after Tomoya for so long, finding a way to attract his attention, but Kyou knew now that she had spent so much energy on a guy who wasn't worth her time...

Still, Youhei was an idiot... He never learned from his mistakes, and he was purely incorrigible. Hell, incorrigible was also Sunohara Youhei!

He never stood up for himself, and would always let others push him around.

But maybe that was because of his extreme devotion, his undying loyalty... He'd be more than willing to do anything for a friend...

_Imagine what he'd do for the woman he loved..._

At that thought Kyou blushed. How could she think that? He probably hated her now... Hated her for being so cruel, for toying with him, pulling him close and then hurling him away... If she were him, she'd probably give up on that girl...

She had to change her stance towards him... Yes, Youhei was an idiot. Yes, Youhei could be a doormat. Yes, Youhei was a pervert. And, yes, Youhei was still pretty lazy, even if he was improving...

But he'd always be there for her. He'd do whatever he could to use his wisdom to guide her on the right track. He'd keep her happy no matter what.

Kyou had her own flaws. Who would want their spouse to be ridiculously stubborn and blunt? Yet those were core parts of her personality, and she knew this.

So, she had to change the way she treated him... Before it'd be too late...

* * *

"_Youhei? It's Kyou..."_

"_Hmn? What is it...?" She heard him sigh._

"_I, um... Just wanted to know if you were doing well."_

"_Yeah, I guess I am."  
_

"_That's... That's good to hear."_

"_Anything else?" She heard him yawn._

Kyou's eyes widened at that tone of voice. Youhei was sounding like Tomoya... She had hurt him...

"_I..."_

"_Sorry, Kyou, but I have a training session to attend for work... And there's quite a few things going on in the company so I won't be able to contact you anytime soon..."_

"_Well... Well, take care..."_

"_Thanks... You too..." And with that he hung up._

"_What have I done?" She thought to herself._

* * *

The seasons came and went, and, finally, Youhei had achieved tenure.

"Now I can finally request days off without having to feel guilty! I have a good record, and the company knows that I work hard, so there are no worries for me!" Youhei laughed as he talked to Tomoya on the phone.

"That's great news, Sunohara. Say, Nagisa and I are going to on a picnic with her folks. Why don't you tag along?"

"Huh? But Okazaki..."

"C'mon."

"I'm just the best man..."

Tomoya narrowed his eyes as he held the phone close to his ear. "And I'm the groom, so?"

"Well, alright then."

"Great. See you there."

* * *

"Tomoya."

"Yes, Nagisa?"

"Shouldn't we invite Kyou, too?"

"Ah, you want our close friends to all be there, right?"

"Yes... Ryou and Kotomi are working overtime at the hospital, so they can't join us, and Tomoyo's still in law school. If you remember, Kyou already has her degree and she'd likely be available."

"And you're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?" Tomoya smirked. He could so use that blackmail money right now.

"Well... Yes..." Nagisa smiled.

* * *

"So, brat, you said we were picking up one more person, right?" Akio smirked as he turned his head to look at Tomoya.

"Um, right... You should watch the road." Tomoya pointed at the windshield.

"He's right, dearest." Sanae smiled from the passenger's seat.

"Ah." Akio turned his head and the car swerved a bit.

"What the hell?!" Youhei blurted out.

The Furukawa family van had three rows of seats. Two in the front and middle, and a large area for three people in the back. It was a big van, but pretty roomy too. Akio was driving, and horribly at that, with Sanae in the passenger's seat, Nagisa behind Akio, Tomoya behind Sanae, and Youhei breathing down Nagisa's neck.

"The seat got shifted forward, and it's stuck... Sorry, Nagisa..." Youhei laughed uneasily as he tried to get up.

"No, no worries..." Nagisa smiled back.

"What kind of beat up car is this?" Tomoya groaned.

"Hey! Brat! Once you can afford a car, then you can complain!"

"Too bad my car can't hold six people, or I'd be driving you guys instead..." Youhei groaned.

"Well..." Tomoya sighed and facepalmed.

"Say, who's this extra person?" Youhei asked, curious.

Finally, the van came to a screeching halt in front of an apartment, and they all heard a loud voice.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!" Kyou yelled.

"We had car troubles." Tomoya explained.

"I see..." Kyou crossed her arms when she saw Youhei's face so close to the back of Nagisa's neck.

"Wait... You're only a family friend and you dare get so close to Nagisa?!" Akio growled when he turned around and spotted Youhei.

"If your car wasn't a wreck, and if you weren't such a bad driver, I wouldn't be in this position!" Youhei snarled back.

Tomoya got up to pull the seat, but Kyou waved him off.

"I'll do it... Sanae, I apologize in advance if I break your car."

"Um, sure..." Sanae gave a confused smile.

"Wait... What are you?" Akio raised an arm and stepped towards Kyou as she entered the back/trunk.

"Youhei, this might hurt."

"Huh?"

And with a pull, she pried the chair off of Nagisa's.

"GAAAHHH!!" Youhei gasped as the seatbelt tightened itself on him.

"Your seatbelt's wrecked too?" Kyou glanced at the broken seatbelt button.

"Um..." Akio scratched the back of his head. "It's called maximum safety."

"GAH! AHHK..." Youhei started to turn blue.

"Youhei!" Kyou immediately went ballistic on the seatbelt clasp, finally breaking it and freeing him.

"Great, so we have one less seat to use." Tomoya crossed his arms.

"What kind of shitty car is this?" Kyou smacked her head as Youhei finally started breathing again.

"Well, let's get a new car. Sunohara Youhei will pay for it." Tomoya smirked as Youhei's face slowly started returning to a normal color

"Gah... Ha..." Youhei shook his fist at Tomoya as he tried to regain his breath.

* * *

"Sorry about the wreck. I didn't expect the car to break down so fast." Sanae bowed before Tomoya, Kyou, and Youhei when Sunohara finally got better.

"You just gave me a scare, I'll be fine..." Youhei smiled.

"That was dangerous... Something could have happened much earlier... If Akio knew about this, then..." Kyou spoke worriedly.

"That car has a lot of memories, and we didn't want to get rid of it." Sanae gave an apologetic smile.

"Even if it can ki..." Before Youhei could continue Kyou whacked him on the back of the head.

"So, anyway, you can make new memories with your new car." She smiled and closed her eyes. (5.)

"And Youhei can pay for that one." Tomoya added with a laugh.

Kyou immediately proceeded to give Tomoya a punch to the face. "Who said he had to?"

Youhei wasn't sure whether to smile at the fact that Kyou was looking out for him, or cry at the fact that she whacked him when he tried to uphold the truth...

* * *

"So, in the end, we didn't really go anywhere, huh?" Sunohara placed his hands behind his head as he walked along.

"Yeah... But at least we get to see each other again." Kyou nodded, with a little uncertainty in her voice.

Youhei glanced at her. She was being strange, so unlike the Kyou he was used to. She was a little shy, and cute. This was so unlike the spunky, brave, stubborn, passionate girl he knew.

"Kyou..."

"Hmn?"

"You don't seem well... You're acting funny."

Kyou flushed a little. "I, um..."

Then Youhei understood, and he held her hand.

"Kyou, um, you've reached your dream in life... You're a teacher now..." He stared into her eyes.

"Yeah..." Kyou stared back, eager to hear what else he had to say.

"But I... I've always wanted to tell you this, but despite the fact that I wasted a lot of my time, I had a dream too."

"Hmn?" She kept her eyes fixed on him, with an even more interested expression.

"I... I've been so lonely for so long... And, um, I... I've always dreamed about spending my future with the woman I love..."

Kyou's heart started to beat faster. Perhaps now she could finally make up to him for hurting him so much.

"And I... Kyou, I love you."

Before he could add anything to that statement, she pulled him towards her into a kiss.

* * *

Two pairs walked side by side at the end of the day. All four were laughing as if nothing bad had ever happened to them.

"So, yeah, Okazaki, thanks for inviting me today!" Youhei laughed.

"Yeah. No problem, Sunohara." Tomoya smiled back.

"Oh, I nearly forgot!" Kyou blurted out.

"Hmn?" Youhei glanced back at her.

"I really should visit Ryou..." She glanced at the other three with an embarrassed smile.

"And Kotomi works in the same place, right? We can visit them both." Nagisa smiled at the thought of seeing two old friends.

"But it's not like they aren't busy with work... And are people allowed to loiter in a hospital?" Tomoya groaned at the suggestion.

"C'mon, Okazaki! We haven't seen those two in how long?" Youhei hit him lightly on the back.

"Well..."

"So let's go!" Kyou grabbed Youhei by the hand and ran off with him.

"Wait for us!" Nagisa followed, but stopped for a moment. "Tomoya?" She glanced behind her.

"Yeah... I'm coming." Tomoya sighed as he began to follow Kyou and the others.

* * *

"Sister! Everyone!" Ryou greeted them from behind the front desk.

"Ryou! How are things?" Kyou smiled, making a point by pulling Youhei next to her.

"I've been doing ok. And why are you...?" Ryou glanced at Youhei's blushing face and smiled. "I see..."

"Who would have thought it possible?" Tomoya laughed from behind Kyou.

Kyou raised her foot, ready to give him a back-kick, but realized that she was in a hospital and placed her foot back on the ground.

Glaring at him, she mumbled: "Just you wait, Tomoya."

Youhei gulped as he glanced at her. That's right, Kyou was still Kyou, and now that they were a couple he'd face both her love and her wrath.

"Well, Kotomi's back in the lab, so she won't be able to see you guys for another few hours... Come to think of it, we're both off work on Sunday. Today's Thursday, so if you could wait for us..." Ryou spoke.

"That's no problem. You don't have work then, right Youhei?" Kyou turned over to him.

"I could always ask for a day off even if I did have one, but, yeah, I'm free that day." Youhei smiled back.

"I could try to convince the boss to let me off." Nagisa nodded. Being a waitress at a restaurant wasn't so easy, since she didn't have the 'tenure' status that Youhei could, and did, earn.

"And Tomoya's always free." Kyou chuckled as she glanced back at him.

"Hey!" Tomoya snarled back and moved forward with a clenched fist, but Youhei quickly scooted closer to Kyou, giving him a look that read: "Don't forget me!"

"Well, we'll see you later then, Ryou." Kyou nodded.

"Of course. Good luck, all of you." Ryou smiled back.

* * *

1. Yeah, my graduation for High School was held in a place away from the school, since other students were still having their last few days of class. For this group, I have them celebrate it in a park, for sometimes a park can be a place where you can think about your past and celebrate it. XD

2. In all honesty, Misae and Mei are there for emotional support alone. Their contributions to Nagisa's growth overall are not nearly as great as Ryou's or Kotomi's... Or even Nishina's and Sugisaka's. That, and Koumura deserves to be given the appropriate honorific behind his name. He is one awesome teacher.

3. Yes, she has grown a little bold. XD. Must have had Kyou rub off on her.

4. Kouko also deserves the "Sensei" honorific, because she is also awesome.

5. Generic anime smile. Typically made by females.

* * *

So I've noticed that Tomoyo isn't really in this fic. First of all, it's hard to write a character like Tomoyo into a fic like this, since she's very serious and determined and is not likely to sit around with people like Youhei, unlike Kyou. Secondly, she wasn't really in After Story to begin with, so I find it difficult to add her in... I wonder how the anime will get past this problem...


	7. Keeping In Touch

Keeping in Touch

"Tomoya, Kyou, it seems like things have changed for you two." Kotomi noted as Nagisa and Tomoya were cuddling against one another, and as Kyou and Youhei were doing the same.

"Heh, I know. Funny how quickly things can change, huh?" Kyou smiled as she rested her head on Youhei's shoulder.

"Kyou? Peaceful?" Tomoya thought, but he didn't want to say anything or Kyou would probably rip his head off and Youhei would continuously kick his balls as she was doing so.

"Youhei... Take care of my sister... She's had that lonely face for a while." Ryou mumbled.

"Yeah... Consider yourself lucky, Kyou..." Tomoya smiled.

"Somehow that smile doesn't seem sincere." Kyou narrowed her eyes.

"Seconded." Youhei crossed his arms.

"You're only agreeing because you're her lover!" Tomoya snarled.

"No, because I could _really_ tell that you were thinking something." Youhei replied.

"Exactly." Kyou hissed.

"Um..."

"Let me guess, you were going to say that I couldn't get married, and add on to it with neither could Youhei, right?"

"Well..."

"If you answer truthfully I won't hit you."

"Yes..."

Kyou rolled her eyes. "And you call him a _friend_?!" Kyou stared at Youhei.

"He's _our_ childhood friend, isn't he?" Youhei replied.

"Well... More like Childhood Headache."

"Hey!" Tomoya snarled.

"Both of you, stop it. We're here to reunite with Kotomi and Ryou, not to fight." Nagisa frantically waved her hands as the adult Kyou and Youhei growled with the adult Tomoya.

"Even though the years pass, we still act like kids." Youhei thought.

"This brings back memories." Kyou chuckled.

"Yeah... Now if only you had a few dictionaries on you, then we could really watch a crime drama in action." Tomoya laughed.

Kyou's eyebrow twitched.

"Kyou..." Youhei laughed, grabbing her arm. "We don't _want_ to go to jail over him, do we?"

"You're right." She smiled at Youhei, though the glare she gave Tomoya would make a crocodile flee in terror.

Ryou blinked for a few moments. "Um, Youhei."

"Hmn?"

"Can I speak to you privately for a few moments?"

"Sure..." He took a glance at Kyou, who shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm surprised that you find that you need to tell Youhei something that your older sister can't hear, but I don't mind." She explained when Youhei and Ryou continued to stare at her.

At that moment, Ryou quickly ran off with Youhei, and once they were out of earshot, Ryou mumbled.

"I'm worried that one of these days Kyou will get a heart attack, or blow out a lung..."

"But Ryou, Kyou's been a lot less angry lately, don't you think?"

"Well... Even though we're sisters, my recent job has made it difficult for me to visit Kyou, and she comes to see me now and then, so in all honesty you know the current her a lot better than I do."

"Trust me, you don't have to worry about her. After all, she's got me!"

"That's exactly why I'm worried." Ryou thought, but she decided not to say anything.

* * *

"Nagisa, you seem to be walking a little strangely..." Kotomi spoke.

"Oh, well... Ha ha..." Nagisa blushed.

Tomoya blushed too.

"By the looks of it, Nagisa, are you...?" Kotomi blinked, very curious now.

"Yes!" Nagisa laughed.

"Congratulations!" Kotomi smiled.

"Eh?" Kyou blinked at the lack of words.

But when she observed Nagisa, she also smiled.

"I see, yes, congratulations, Nagisa... Tomoya!" Kyou yelled at him.

"What?"

"You should be more caring for her! You're just having her walk around without holding onto her or anything."

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so?' She's your wife! And she's a..."

"A what?" Youhei suddenly spoke as he and Ryou walked back over to the group.

"Mother. Youhei, Nagisa's..."

"I don't need the whole world to know!" Tomoya groaned aloud.

"Know what?" Ryou asked, but then she realized what she just said and decided to stay quiet.

"Nagisa's a mother? Tomoya, you sly..."

"If I hear anything come out of your mouth, Sunohara, I swear I'll..."

"Hit him and you'll have both his and my fists in your face." Kyou hissed.

"Hit _on_ me and I'll kill you, Okazaki." Youhei added with a laugh.

Kyou's eyes widened. "If that happens..."

She began to wince. "Please, Youhei, no more bad images."

"Sorry..." Youhei placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Honestly, Sunohara, that might be one of _your_ fantasies, but..."

And Tomoya yelped in pain as Kyou kicked him on the lower leg.

"Don't say _anything else_, Tomoya!"

"Yes'm."

* * *

"Kotomi as a lab technician... The job fits her pretty well." Youhei stroked his chin as the four of them left the hospital.

"Yeah. I thought she'd be a researcher, though, but I guess then she considered that she might mess up something while performing research. I don't know, there are still quite a few jobs she'd excel in, and I'm glad she had the foresight to choose one of them." Kyou thought aloud.

"You're treating Kotomi like a little girl." Tomoya snickered.

"Nothing out of your mouth!" Kyou threw a punch at Tomoya and he dodged it. "Your talking privileges have been revoked, you hear me?!"

"It's best not to insult her, Tomoya..." Nagisa mumbled.

"Ryou was right, if I don't calm her down, she will get a heart attack..." Youhei thought.

* * *

As they strolled along, the four of them spotted a taxi that came to a stop in front of an apartment complex.

A woman in formal business attire emerged from that taxi. She had long, silver hair that could rival Kyou's in length.

One look at her and all four of them gasped. "Tomoyo!" Kyou was the first to yell aloud.

She turned to glance at the four with tired eyes, but that sleepiness immediately disappeared when she realized who exactly was calling her.

"It's... Wow!" Tomoyo blinked.

Youhei chuckled to himself. She'd been taken off guard. She probably had a lot of random people calling for her, but to have four old friends spot her like this, she must have been stunned.

"Here, come in!" She opened the gate of the apartment complex, letting all four of them enter. "We'll talk more in my apartment... I have a few things to drop off." She explained as the five of them ascended the steps.

* * *

When the five sat down, Tomoya was the first to speak.

"How long has it been? Four years since we last saw each other?"

"I know..." Tomoyo nodded sadly. "Law school has just been so tiring, and time-consuming. I hardly had the time to contact family members, let alone you guys."

"Well, the important thing is that we're here. So, Tomoyo, it looks like you're pretty professional." Kyou spoke up.

Tomoyo chuckled at that. "Yes... I've just joined a law firm as a practicing attorney."

"A defense attorney?" Nagisa mumbled.

"Yes." Tomoyo smiled.

"Awesome!" Youhei spoke.

Tomoyo gave him a glance. "Yeah... And hopefully I won't have to have you as one of my clients."

But Tomoyo was surprised to find Kyou glaring at her. "Hmn? Kyou?"

"Um... Tomoyo... Yes, Youhei can be a genuine idiot, but there's something you should know..." Kyou sighed.

"First of all, I married Nagisa!" Tomoya cut her off.

"Well, there's that, and you got her pregnant." Kyou sighed.

"What?!" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Okazaki, that's a little quick!"

"That's exactly what I said..." Youhei added.

"If only you people would stop ganging up on me for that..." Tomoya groaned.

"But, anyway, what else, Kyou?" Tomoyo turned back to her.

"And, if you can believe it, Sunohara Youhei and Fujibayashi Kyou finally found mates. Can you believe it?" Tomoya smirked.

At that moment, Youhei gave Tomoya a punch to the face while Kyou took off her shoe and threw it at him, and it slammed right into his thigh.

"Arrg..." Tomoya groaned as his face fell into Nagisa's lap.

"Let me guess, so the two of you finally got together." Tomoyo smiled.

"What do you mean, 'finally?'" Kyou raised an eyebrow as she put her shoe back on.

Youhei's eyes widened when he remembered Tomoyo giving him a light smile that day at the mall... So she knew from the beginning...

Tomoyo saw Youhei's realization, and nodded. "I'll let him tell you later."

Kyou glanced at Youhei. "Ok, then."

"Tomoyo..." Youhei spoke up with a smile.

"Hmn?" She raised an eyebrow at him, as did Kyou.

"Er, thanks... Despite the fact that I was quite an idiot then... Thanks for your support..."

Kyou glanced at Youhei strangely, when Tomoyo nodded.

"I trust that you won't be so ridiculously foolish any longer. But even if you were I know that Kyou would keep you in line." She replied.

"Erm..." And Youhei was struck speechless, again.

* * *

"So, anyway, feel free to drop by... Even you, Youhei. Now that I'm done with law school, there are times when I don't have a case to keep me busy. I could always use a talk with friends in those times." Tomoyo smiled.

"Definitely, there's no need to ask us, right Tomoya?" Youhei turned to him.

"Right..."

"Say that with more enthusiasm! You sound like you don't care!" Kyou snarled.

"Right!" Tomoya shot upright.

"Anyways, sorry, Tomoyo, but it's late and we should get going." Nagisa spoke.

"Take care, all of you." Tomoyo smiled brighter.

* * *

"She seems lonely..." Nagisa mumbled as they entered the parking lot where Kyou parked her scooter and where Nagisa and Youhei parked their cars.

"Yeah, reminds me of myself not long ago..." Kyou added with a depressed sigh.

Youhei put a hand on her shoulder, and turned to Tomoya. "I guess we should pay her visits every now and then. She looks like she really does need the company."

Kyou and Nagisa also glanced at Tomoya.

"Why me?!" Tomoya crossed his arms.

"Hmph. Think about it. I'm a kindergarten teacher. Youhei's a contractor. Nagisa's a waitress. Ryou's a nurse who works for practically the entire day, and Kotomi's a lab technician who has practically the same shift as my sister. Who's the only one out of Tomoyo's old group of friends (at least those who she was close to), who's still free?" Kyou crossed her arms with a sneer.

"I might be unemployed, but I..."

"Tell me, Tomoya, what do you do when Nagisa's at work?"

"Um..."

"Exactly."

"Hey! It's not like my life's a game or something!"

"Okazaki, I could lend you money for a bike." Youhei smirked.

"Sunohara! Why you...! I'm not falling for this kind of trick!" Tomoya growled.

"So you're just going to ignore Tomoyo's request? You can tell that she needs a friend to listen to her right now... None of us but you can help her with her stress." Kyou crossed her arms.

Tomoya sighed, but seeing Kyou, Youhei, and Nagisa share an expectant face as they stared at him, he gave in.

"Fine... Sunohara, I could use that bike money..."

Youhei groaned. "A promise is a promise... Let's go to my place for the night and I'll give you the check."

"Youhei! You have work..." Kyou raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not a child, Kyou! I earned tenure because I was a good employee. I don't plan to ruin my reputation!"

"Good." Kyou sneered. "'Cause if you get fired, I am going to rip off your balls."

"Then you should be happy, because you'll be having quite a few kids over the years." Youhei laughed.

Kyou turned bright red as she slammed her foot into his face. "Idiot..." She mumbled as she got on her scooter and drove off.

Tomoya shook his head. "Smooth, Sunohara, smooth..."

"Shut... Up..." Youhei groaned as the taste of asphalt filled his mouth.

* * *

Children's voices filled the air as the man in a white business suit approached the kindergarten.

He hadn't seen her in a few weeks, and, honestly, he was worried about her. To have her as a kindergarten teacher with that kind of temper... It seemed like such a bad move on her part. Kids could be a genuine headache, and he knew that firsthand.

The kids ran about, and she continued playing with them for a little while... Soon a woman arrived and saw this strange newcomer.

"Are you here to pick up your child too?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, no... Go on ahead." He moved aside, letting the woman pass by. Soon the teacher had to watch another child leave with her mother.

Kyou sighed. She didn't want a child, yet, but it was at these moments that she wondered what having a kid would be like.

Ironically enough, as she was thinking this, she turned towards the gate and saw the idiot.

"Youhei! What the...?!" But, realizing that she was a teacher in this kindergarten/daycare, she refrained from saying that last word. Instead she got up and walked towards him.

Youhei put his briefcase on the fence and smiled. "Hey, Kyou."

"Are you...?!"

Youhei sighed. "Yes, I got off work an hour ago."

"You weren't...?!"

Another sigh. "No, I finished my shift. They make me work and let me go an hour earlier now."

"Ah, that's good to hear." She finally smiled.

"Yeah..."

"So..."

"Gofu!" A deep, glottal grunt filled the air.

"Eh?" Youhei looked around, and suddenly yelped aloud.

Near his left foot was a huge boar, and its tusk tore off a part of Youhei's sock. Thankfully, it didn't actually hurt him much, and the scratch on his ankle wasn't even bleeding, but still, Sunohara was rather startled by this.

Backing slowly away from the gate, Youhei looked at Kyou and smiled embarrassingly. "Is that, um, Botan?"

"Yup! Hasn't he grown?" Kyou smiled.

"Well, yeah... But he tore my sock! What are you training him to do?!" Youhei snarled.

"Gofu!" Botan stared menacingly at Youhei while stepping close to Kyou.

At that gesture Youhei seemed to understand. "Wait... So he's trying to protect you? I see..."

"You can't blame him, though... Back in high school you'd probably have chased any girl, and even though Botan's ticked at Ryou he would have done the same for her." Kyou spoke with a sigh as she bent down and petted Botan.

"Um..." Youhei scratched the back of his head.

"Gofu!" Botan snorted.

"Can I... Pat him? Just to show him that I'm not his enemy?"

"He can understand us, you know. He's pretty smart." Kyou spoke.

"Yeah... But no matter how smart he is he probably wouldn't trust me unless I was nice to him. Oh, I know!"

"Hmn?"

"I have these from the conference I just had to sit through!" And with that Youhei pulled out a few cookies from his pants pocket.

"How exactly did you?..."

"Only a master would know those tricks." Youhei smirked.

Kyou rolled her eyes. "You'll just never obey the rules, will you?"

"And you're the one complaining?" Youhei smiled.

Kyou sighed. He had a point.

So Youhei bent down and handed the cookie through the gaps in the fence, and Botan slowly trotted up to it and sniffed it. Looking back up at Youhei, it slowly accepted it and started eating.

Youhei glanced at Botan in worry. If he didn't like it, or if he couldn't eat it, then he would show problems and Kyou might kill him...

Wait, not might... _Would_ would be more accurate.

Botan grunted and ate the cookie. With a lighter grunt, he sat on the grass, allowing Youhei to pet him a little.

"Truce?" Youhei muttered at Botan as he rubbed the boar's forehead.

"Gofu." Botan replied.

* * *

"So why isn't he in your apartment?" Youhei asked Kyou as the two of them left the Kindergarten.

"Think about it: the landlady isn't fond of pets, first of all, though they are allowed, but Botan isn't the kind of pet you can simply leave in a house. He's a wild boar, after all, and needs space to roam and wander around. That's why I leave him at the Kindergarten with a tiny door through which only he can enter. Also, he keeps burglars from trying to get in, since they tend to get freak out upon seeing a big boar like him."

"Hmn..."

"What is it?"

"You seem reluctant about that apartment..."

"Well, it's the only place I can afford. Same with you! Why don't you move out of that dormitory and..." At that point Kyou turned bright red.

Youhei blushed a little too. "Er... Wouldn't that be too quick?"

Kyou stammered. "It's... It's not like you're the one who suggested it, right?..."

"Er..."

And they both stopped talking for a few minutes.

"Sure..." He smiled, uncertain whether saying so would make him a pervert."

"Excellent!" She started bouncing.

"Are you really this lonely, Kyou?" He thought, but thought it better not to say that, or she might give him the beating of his life.

_**Chapter End.**_

* * *

"And now for the author's notes." Kyou frowns as she reads the script.

"Wait, even Aqua's fallen to this level?" Youhei gasped.

"Well... It looks like he has something to say about you, Youhei." Kyou narrowed her eyes as she tried to read the script. "Who writes like this anyway? Even a drunk chimp could write neater than this!"

"Oh, merciful author, who gave me Kyou as a lover, what does he have to say about me?"

"He hated your acting in CLANNAD After Story Episode 2."

"Eh?"

"It says here that you were just pathetic..."

"WHAT?! I, Youhei, am..."

"Often pathetic."

"Kyou!"

"Hmph. Anyways, and it says here that... WHAT?!"

"Huh?"

"I AM NOT A BIH!"

"Well, you were mumbling about guys being insensitive in that episode, and yet you treat most of the guys around you so cruelly... Heck, I bet the readers are still wondering why I was nice to you in the first place."

Kyou snarled. "When I get my hands on him..."

"Technically, you'll never be able to. In the context of this fic, he's God and the readers are angels, because they control how we live our lives." Youhei shrugged his shoulders.

"So this is Aqua's attempt to make himself seem important by having such control over us, huh? Gah! He pisses me off!"

"Well... Too bad... We're stuck with his control for another few chapters."

"... And I have you as a boyfriend. Well, I hope he won't insult the two of us any more..."

"Eh, we'll just have to hope, wait, and see..."

(And I am basing this on Velocity7's (The WaffleHouse's) subs.)


	8. Storm Clouds

Storm Clouds

"Nagisa... I'm sorry... But these test results... They..." Kotomi choked on her own words. She couldn't finish her sentence.

"What's wrong?" Nagisa blinked. Sitting on a hospital bed, she knew that it wasn't anything particularly good to hear, yet she was prepared for anything.

Ryou shifted her eyes uneasily as she answered for Kotomi. "Nagisa, I think there are some complications with your pregnancy."

"What?" Or maybe not.

"Nagisa... If you carry this baby, you might get injured... You and the baby might not make it. Here, there's something called in-vitro fertilization. You might have to use that, and you can still have your baby in the end... Doing it this way will lead to terrible consequences." Kotomi mumbled.

"No. I don't want a test-tube baby!" Nagisa spoke frantically, startling the other two.

"But, Nagisa, it's the only way we can have a safe solution to all this... Otherwise you might not live to see your baby, or, worse, both of you might not survive." Ryou shivered. Saying this to one of her closest friends was horrible indeed.

"It can't be like that!" Nagisa stammered. "I... I won't have a test-tube baby. I'm going to have it..."

"Nagisa..." Both Kotomi and Ryou spoke now, worried that they would have to force her.

"NO!" Nagisa screamed. This couldn't be happening...

* * *

He stopped his car in front of the kindergarten, and unlocked the door.

Sure enough, she got into the passenger side and sat on the seat, clicking her seatbelt as the law required.

"Youhei, I feel like eating French."

"I don't have the money for that!" Youhei stammered.

She smirked at him.

"No, Kyou! Seriously, I don't!"

"Heck, neither do I! I don't want to have to wash dishes over a single meal. Honestly, did you think I'd be that unreasonable?" She sneered as she hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"I... Um..."

Kyou sighed. "Don't answer that if I can predict what you'll say."

"Thanks." He nodded as he started the car.

As he turned a corner and headed for their favorite place, Kyou's phone rang.

Just seconds after picking it up, Kyou's eyes widened.

"Youhei."

"Hmn?"

"To the hospital, now."

At that moment Youhei immediately made a right. "Ryou?!" He spoke suddenly.

"No... But just as bad..." Kyou shivered.

"Nagisa?" He mumbled now.

Kyou nodded. "Yes... Something's happened to her, and Ryou needs us right now."

"Ryou..." Kyou mumbled when Ryou finished telling them what happened.

"Um..." Even Youhei couldn't think of anything appropriate to say.

"Kotomi's with her right now, but... But I don't know what I should do! Nagisa's a close friend, and this baby is so important to her, but I don't think any of us wants to lose her..." Ryou began to cry.

"Ryou..." Kyou stepped forward to comfort her.

Youhei also made a step, but felt that hugging her might be improper. Instead he started to pat her on the back while Kyou hugged her. "We'll find a way through this, Ryou... I'm sure we will..." He spoke, not even believing his own words.

* * *

"Tomoya... You have to convince her to use another way. The baby has to... Has to..." Kotomi couldn't finish her own sentence. She couldn't bear saying it.

"But... Kotomi, isn't there another way?" Tomoya stammered.

"If there was a more logical solution, I'd readily take it, but there are too many risks involved if you keep the child..." Kotomi mumbled.

Tomoya closed his eyes. This couldn't be happening... No, he had just gotten himself a job as an electrician... He had just started turning his life around... He could finally prove that he wasn't useless, and that he could make something of himself, just like Sunohara. But now, now this had to happen... His world was crashing down... He'd lose his child...

Was this a nightmare? Would he wake up tomorrow morning by Nagisa's side? Would he be able to laugh about this dream with Nagisa? Was he asleep? Tomoya punched himself in the face just to make sure...

He felt pain, yes, but it must be because his nerves were trying to make sense of his dream; trying to keep him in that dream state. This was a dream, it had to be. So he punched himself again, and again, and didn't stop even when Kotomi tried to pin him down and keep him from hurting himself.

* * *

"Youhei... We have to do something..." Kyou mumbled as the two drove away.

"Kyou... Of course we have to... But what can we do? We can say that we'll do something all we want, but if there's nothing we can do then we're just wasting our breaths." Youhei kept his eyes on the road without looking at her.

"Don't say that! There's got to be a way!"

"We won't find it just by talking about it..." He sighed.

"Youhei, what's gotten into you?" She looked worried now.

"What's gotten into _you_, Kyou? You act like you have the power to do everything, that together we can take care of all problems, but sometimes you just have to back off. Sometimes there's really nothing you or even you and your lover can do...

"Whatever happens now is Nagisa and Tomoya's decision, not yours, or mine, or even Ryou's or Kotomi's. It's their decision, and we can't do anything to stop or change it." Youhei snapped.

Kyou looked shocked. "Youhei... You!" She narrowed her eyes.

"I what? You know I'm right. Whenever there's a chance that you can change your surroundings, you tend to do the right thing by fighting for that change no matter what. But Kyou, this time we can't change what's going on. Only Tomoya and Nagisa can, and all the two of us can do is sit back and support them..." Sunohara crossed his arms.

For a second Kyou blinked. He'd changed from the guy who would immediately back off the moment she glared at him... Instead of being a doormat, Youhei was acting more like the person she'd expect an expert soccer player to be, confident and unwilling to back down when he knew he was right.

She turned a little red. "You're right, Youhei..."

"Yeah..." He pulled her closer to him. "So don't worry about it too much, ok? You've been as supportive as you can, but now it's their issue... There are many more things that deserve your attention, you know." He spoke softer now, trying to convince himself too.

"Yeah..." She nodded, pressing herself against him.

* * *

"Nagisa..." Tomoya pleaded with her.

"No..." She whimpered, flinching from him.

"Nagisa, there are some risks you just can't take..." Tomoya put his hand on her shoulder.

"Tomoya, I've always been told that I can't do this or that, yet over the years I've achieved so much. Now I want to overcome this final obstacle: my weak body, and have my kid like any other healthy woman."

"Nagisa..."

"So I'm not going to go through that, Tomoya. Say thanks to Kotomi and Ryou for me. They're good friends, but they don't know what I really want, and I'm not going to do it." Nagisa spoke, her words carrying that rare tone of conviction.

* * *

"The suspense is killing me..." Youhei groaned when Kyou ended Ryou's call on her cell.

"I can't believe it... So Nagisa's going to go through with it." Kyou shook her head.

"Well... It's out of our hands... They know that we're there if they need us." Youhei sighed.

"Yeah..." Kyou looked away.

"Meh, I know a way for us not to be so depressed." Youhei started to smile.

"Hmn?" Kyou glanced at him.

And with that Youhei got his phone and started dialing a number.

"Mei? Mei, are you there? It's your brother." Youhei spoke.

"Big brother?" Kyou could hear Mei's surprised voice.

"Yeah, Mei, sorry I haven't called in a while... I've been busy with work, you know."

Kyou snickered softly. More like he was too busy with her.

"How've you been?" Mei spoke excitedly.

"I've been doing ok. Say, I have a car now. Do you want me to pick you up and take you to the city?" Youhei asked with a smile on his face.

"I can come to you, big brother. You don't have to waste gas."

He frowned. "But, Mei, it's not that safe, right?"

"I did it before when I was still in grade school. I'm in high school now, big brother. I can handle myself."

"Alright, then... Be careful. When's your next break?"

"I'm on break."

"Eh? Oh, right... It's about time..." Youhei stroked his chin.

"So I can come up in a few days." He heard Mei laugh.

"That would be great." Youhei smiled.

"Big brother, you've moved, right? Could you tell me your new address?" And when Mei asked that Kyou's eyes widened.

"Sure..." Youhei winked at her, and Kyou's expression didn't change in the slightest.

* * *

"Tomoyo, I honestly don't know what to do about Nagisa..." Tomoya groaned over a cup of tea in her apartment.

"Okazaki, it's her choice in the end... You've done all you can to convince her, but now you have to step back..." Tomoyo sighed sagely.

"Ushio's my daughter too, you know!" Tomoya snarled.

"That may be, but you're not the one giving birth to her."

"Well..."

"So when it comes down to it, Nagisa's the one who's in charge." Tomoyo repeated, staring intently at him.

"Hmn..."

"I'm sorry, Okazaki, but you'll have to support her from here on out. Know that both of you have me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Tomoyo, for listening..." And with that Tomoya left her apartment with a drooped head.

* * *

_Three days later..._

The sun hung low over the horizon, and as it was almost evening most people were at home, so Mei was sure that she'd see her brother.

"This should be the place." Mei glanced at her notepad as she knocked on the door of the apartment.

The door opened to reveal none other than...

"Kyou?" Mei was stunned.

"Mei?" Kyou blinked. Then she remembered. Mei did say that she'd be coming down in a few days, didn't she?

"You... Live with big brother...? That means..." And with that Mei stepped forward and grabbed Kyou's hands.

"Mei? Wha-?" Kyou stared at Youhei's younger sister with her mouth wide open.

Mei bowed her head. "I'm... I'm sorry... You... You and him... I'm so sorry, Kyou." Her face started tearing up.

Kyou narrowed her eyes and sighed. "Why does everyone react like that once they realize that Youhei and I are a couple...?"

"Eh?" Mei blinked. "Hmn... He has no money... His reputation is horrible... He..."

"No more." Kyou waved her hand. "And that's rude, Mei. I'm not the kind of person who would marry a guy just for money or fame." Kyou hissed.

"I'm sorry... It's just that... I'm so sorry!" Mei stepped forward, but Kyou put her hand on Mei's shoulder to keep her from moving forward.

"You haven't seen your brother in years, right? And you're assuming that he's a piece of junk? Mei... You give him too little credit." Kyou sighed.

"Huh?" Mei looked confused. "But, yes, I haven't seen him in so long. How is he? Is he treating you well?"

Kyou giggled. "Technically I own this apartment, so if he wasn't treating me right I would have thrown him out of the window immediately."

Mei blinked. Some parts of Kyou could never change.

But Kyou's face turned serious again. "But, think about it. Didn't he tell you that he had a car?"

"I thought it was probably Okazaki's throwaway or something."

Kyou's jaw hit the ground. "Mei! Respect your elders!"

Mei giggled. "Sorry, sorry... But, still, so he bought himself a car. That must mean that he has a job of some kind."

Kyou nodded. "He's a contractor, a salesperson who works with many companies, though he represents Satsuki, Inc."

"Ah, so he's not so useless anymore."

Kyou sighed. "No... He's actually made something of himself. That, and..." Kyou blushed. "Well, just watch me when I greet him when he gets back, and you'll see how he's changed."

"So he's still at work?"

"Not really... He ends work a bit earlier than I do... And, as you can imagine, starts earlier too."

"What kind of job do you do?"

Kyou smiled. "I'm a kindergarten teacher."

"Really?"

"... But since I have to set up everything for each day, we tend to head to work together. But today he has a meeting so I used my scooter, you see."

"Ah. So normally he'd spend time around now with you."

"Yes..."

"I never knew he'd be so sweet..."

Kyou's eyes narrowed. "Your really give him too little credit."

"Well... He's been an idiot ever since he left the soccer team, so can you blame me? I haven't seen him ever since Nagisa's 'second' graduation, and even then it was only for a few minutes before I went with Yusuke and he ran off."

"I guess you'll have to see him firsthand, then. Here, we'll surprise him." Kyou quickly had Mei hide somewhere.

Kyou leaned on the couch and winked at Mei, who had taken cover behind a cupboard.

The door to the apartment opened, and Youhei stomped in with a yawn.

"Man, it's so tiring!" He groaned. "Hey, Kyou."

"Hey... You're not drunk, are you?" She glanced at him with concern.

"No, just exhausted."

"I see that... You seemed to be at that meeting for a while."

"I was just going to get to that. Apparently our company has some issues with a business partner, and because of that our contract might get revoked. As a contractor, I had to sit with the other representative and try to reach a resolution, with my manager telling me a bunch of terms that our company wanted, half of which didn't make any sense, and in the end both us contractors were exhausted trying to merely get the point across to the other person!"

"Sounds complicated..." Kyou groaned. Bureaucraps galore! She was glad that she didn't get into anything that could even slightly resemble politics.

"Yeah... I could so use some rest. Man, if the benefits were any worse I might try looking for another job."

Kyou rubbed his back. "It's that tiring for you?"

"Sometimes, yeah. But I can manage... And I have you." He moved in for a kiss.

Mei turned bright red. So her older brother really did win Kyou. They did seem good together...

"Anyways, Youhei." Kyou spoke as they broke the kiss.

"Huh?"

She crossed her arms. "You forgot to get groceries."

"What? You never told me you wanted them!"

"You should have figured it out."

"Actually, we've been eating out for the past week, and you didn't show any sign of planning to cook, so how was I supposed to know?" Youhei groaned.

"Don't argue with me. You didn't do your job." Kyou pouted.

"What?! Don't give me that! If you wanted to me get something you should have told me instead of expecting me to read minds. 'Sides, since you know what to get, why didn't you pick them up when you were heading back from work? Your scooter can carry a few things, right?"

Kyou laughed. "You're so defensive."

"Well... I'm just stressed, that's all." He gave her apologetic smile.

"See, Mei? What did I tell you?" Kyou glanced over the sofa and spoke towards the cupboard.

"Mei? What... Can't be..." Youhei jumped to attention.

"Big brother!" Mei laughed as she emerged from her hiding place.

"Mei... Ha ha, so you came earlier than I thought." Youhei snickered as he took a little sheet out of his pocket.

"Hmn?" Kyou snatched it from him. Taking a look, she laughed. "How cute..."

"What is it?" Mei asked.

"It's a list of the things he was planning to get for you, as an arrival present."

Mei blinked. He really did change. Probably due to Kyou smacking him on the head enough times.

She smirked, now she knew why Kyou chose him. He was the easiest guy for her to tame and keep.

* * *

"I'm saying this again, Tomoya... I really don't want anything to happen to Nagisa..." Kotomi stammered on the phone.

"I'm sorry, but there's really no way I can convince her." Tomoya sighed.

"Tomoya... Don't you understand? Nagisa needs..."

"To make her own choices, and I'm not going to take that right away from her."

"But..."

"Thanks, Kotomi, but you've done your job. There's no need to feel like you've betrayed us."

Kotomi froze as Tomoya hung up.

* * *

"So how is everything? How did you two get together? Since you two are together, what happened to Okazaki and Nagisa? How's Ryou? Or Kotomi? Or...?" Mei bounced up and down. She was quite excited, since she hadn't seen them in so long.

"Woah, calm down..." Youhei put his hands on her shoulders. "We'll tell you everything bit by bit."

"Well, the main thing you need to know is that your brother finally proved to everyone that he does have balls and a brain after all." Kyou smirked.

"He finally became what he used to be? But I thought that he failed miserably when he got kicked out of the soccer team..." Mei stroked her chin.

"Hey! I officially quited. I did not get kicked out." Youhei snarled.

"Sure..." Kyou rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he did go to an all time low after getting kicked out of soccer... But, to give him credit, he joined Nagisa's Drama Club and actually proved to be a valuable member, despite the fact that he was our lowest rank by default."

"Hey!"

"I'm telling it as it was, so you shouldn't say anything." Kyou sighed.

Youhei decided to keep his mouth shut. After all, he didn't want her to get a heart attack, and he'd promised Ryou that he'd keep Kyou in as good health as possible.

"But, yeah, he showed brains by convincing our group to stand down and not be physically aggressive during negotiations with the Choir Club, as well as to be firm and to state our point so that the Choir Club would not try to take advantage of us. When that didn't work he placed a gamble with them, having us face the Basketball Club in exchange for them letting us share an advisor. Youhei proved his physical abilities during that critical match, scoring points along with Tomoyo and I, and when Tomoyo failed to deliver the killing blow, Youhei was able to back her up and succeed in that.

"So, basically, your brother, through his calm advice and toughness during the match, proved that he had brains and balls, and for that he earned our respect..."

"Or at least he earned yours." Mei winked.

"Yeah..." Kyou blushed.

Youhei could only stare at the two of them. What could he say in this case?

"Hey! Say something!" Kyou gave him a light push.

Now it was Youhei's turn to blush. "Um... You're acting as though I was some kind of political expert or something when I said that we'd have to take desperate measures..."

"Well? That was what you meant, right? I just helped express your thoughts better than you did."

"Yeah..." Youhei turned even more red. He really impressed her, didn't he?

"Now we'll have to see if he's actually reliable, or if he's just doing all this just to get in your pants, Kyou..." Mei snickered.

Kyou turned red. "Um, Mei, you shouldn't really be saying those kinds of things..." (1.)

Youhei's jaw hit the floor. "Mei! Where did you learn things like that?!"

Mei snickered even more.

"But honestly, we haven't done anything!" Youhei waved his arms.

Mei glanced at Kyou, and she nodded.

"Whew... I know Kyou would easily kill you if you tried, so I guess I don't need to worry." Mei sighed.

"So you don't care if your brother is killed?"

"Not when he's being a scary, perverted idiot."

"Mei!... I'm... I'm your brother..." Tears filled Youhei's eyes.

"But some parts of you can't change." Mei smirked.

Kyou's eyebrow twitched. "That's enough out of you, Mei! He's a lot better about that than before."

Mei sighed. "Yeah, but he's still a hopeless idiot in other ways."

"What other ways?!" Youhei growled.

Mei shrugged her shoulders and decided not to add fuel to the flame.

Kyou looked worriedly at both siblings. "If their relationship stays like this, then Mei'll probably find fault in Youhei for everything. People can't change that fast, and Youhei did a lot of stupid things, but he's not necessarily an idiot... At least not anymore, but she just refuses to accept that. I guess he hurt her way too deeply..." She thought.

* * *

Tomoyo sat by Nagisa's bedside.

The doctors and staff of the hospital ran back and forth, leaving them alone together.

"Nagisa..." Tomoyo mumbled. "You're making everyone worry about you. Tomoya might think that this is a good idea, but I sure don't..."

"Stop, Tomoyo. Everyone's said that. Even Kyou and Youhei haven't objected in words, but I see the look in their eyes. You're all telling me that my choice is wrong, but I don't want to be weak anymore! I had to take my final year in high school three times... I had to miss out on all these different opportunities to be with my friends... I'm not going to let my weak body stop me! I'm going to be strong..."

"Nagisa..." Tomoyo mumbled. She was touched by that conviction, yet somehow this seemed terribly wrong.

* * *

Mei had finally gone back home. She knew that her brother was safe in Kyou's hands, and that she could trust her sister-in-law to kick Youhei's arse whenever it needed a kicking.

But Nagisa was still insistent on having the baby, and after a few weeks, her friends and loved ones found themselves gathered in the hospital's waiting room, except for Tomoya, who was by her bedside.

Akio growled as he made for Youhei's collar. "I thought I told you to help watch over my daughter!"

Youhei gulped. "You're blaming me? It's Nagisa and Tomoya's decision. I did my part as a friend to tell them what I thought and why they shouldn't go through with it, but I can't do any more than that, right?"

Nagisa's father snarled. "You'd better hope that she makes it out fine."

Sanae looked worried, and Kyou and Tomoyo tried to comfort her, telling her that everything would be alright.

From behind the front desk, Ryou fixed up papers and took calls while Kotomi was inputting data in the hospital computer. They insisted on these positions so that they could hear the news along with the others.

Yusuke and Kouko sat in their own seats. The former muttered on the power of love while the latter shared worried glances with Sanae.

And Koumura, unfortunately, had already passed on, bringing an even grimmer mood to all of them. Since he was Tomoya's most important teacher and supported both Tomoya and Nagisa as much as he could, his absence reminded them that their worst fears could come true.

They all exchanged worried glances...

And, though it was muffled by the hospital walls, they heard that scream:

"_NAGISA!!"_

* * *

1. Normally Kyou would kill anyone who said that sort of thing, but Mei's the speaker we're talking about here. Mei is Youhei's little sister, and she's insulting Youhei. Technically, being Youhei's sister gives her the right to make harsh jokes or to insult him because she really doesn't mean it (or the insult would just go right back to her), so Kyou doesn't overreact to it.

* * *

Random Commentary (Inspired by the latest episodes of After Story, because they discuss at length my favorite character):

I want to strangle Sunohara Youhei.

I guess it's best to see both sides of a person. It's best to see their strengths and weaknesses at their highest potential. I know that I'm a Youhei fanboy, and because of that I've probably showed him at his best here...

But the anime has helped remind me of how horrible of a person he can be.

His own route in the game proved most of this already: He can truly be a hopeless, selfish, arrogant idiot who deserves much of the torment Kyou and Tomoyo give him. He originally assisted Nagisa for his own selfish gain of getting bread...

In Tomoyo's route, he used Tomoyo as a shield to counter the demons of her past, those delinquents she used to clean up. He bothered Tomoyo without provocation, hinting that she might have used sexual favors to 'convince' those delinquents to lose to her. That's a definite low blow that already proves that he deserves the disdain everyone gives him. Who in his right mind would say such things? It might be funny when we watch it on screen, but just think about it. He's a real arse by that action alone. And people honestly think there can be a Youhei / Tomoyo ending? Wow.

Furthermore, he was quite nasty to Fuko several times. Though he probably shares that nastiness with Tomoya (and might have been influenced by Tomoya, though that's unlikely and it's probably something both share that makes them stay friends.)

But Kyou kinda deserves their cruelty in her own way, so I'm not going to discuss her.

Basically, we all have our horrible and admirable sides. I tend to write about his admirable qualities and use them to get Kyou to help fix his horrible ones. The anime's using his horrible qualities to help get Tomoya to fix them for him. I personally dislike Tomoya, so I'd rather stick with the way I'm writing this story so far.

All in all, this proves to me that CLANNAD is one awesome anime that can't be easily analyzed!


	9. Lonely

I said that the story was nearing its end not too long ago, and I meant it...

This is the final chapter. Before we begin I want to thank my readers for their attention, and I thank both FatesDecision and Sanctus Vindex for their continued support.

Lonely...

He sat with his chin propped in the palms of his hands, staring boredly out the window of his home.

Suddenly, he saw a car rumble onto his driveway. Squinting his eyes, he recognized that car...

And strolled over to his front door.

"Tomoya! It's been a while. How are things holding up?" Kyou greeted with a smile and a wave.

Behind her, Youhei was smiling too.

Tomoya yawned. "Nothing." He mumbled, giving them a depressed look.

Kyou looked worried. "Are you alright?"

Tomoya hissed. "Come in." He stepped aside. Staring at Kyou's belly, he noticed the bulge.

"So you're..." He muttered.

"Yes!" She smiled, and Youhei looked happier than ever.

"Hah, Okazaki, isn't that something?" He grinned as he pulled Kyou closer to him.

Tomoya grunted as he closed the door.

"What's wrong? You'll be with her soon." Youhei spoke, and Kyou glared at her lover, making him flinch.

Tomoya didn't say anything as he went back to his table.

Kyou and Youhei exchanged worried glances. Could loneliness crush a man so easily?

* * *

"Ryou... Are you busy right now?" Sanae asked over the phone.

"Well, there aren't many patients today, and it's gotten to the point where some of our doctors are just sitting around filing their necessary paperwork. Do you need me, Sanae?... Wait a second, shouldn't you be in Paris?"

"We came back early." Sanae replied with a laugh.

"Really?" Ryou was honestly surprised. "Weren't you planning to be gone for a month? Did something happen? You're back so soon..."

"Oh, it's just that our tour had some problems, but we had fun anyway." Sanae replied.

"Well, that's good, I guess... Ok, I'll be there to pick you up as soon as I can." Ryou nodded.

"It'll be great to see you again. We'll see you there." Sanae chuckled again as she hung up.

* * *

"Tomoya... You shouldn't..."

"Don't say anything." Tomoya waved his hand when Kyou tried to say more.

Kyou narrowed her eyes. He was honestly getting on her nerves.

"If you want, there are some drinks in the fridge. Just make yourselves at home." He spoke unenthusiastically as he propped himself on his couch and went to sleep.

Youhei and Kyou glanced worriedly at each other. Nagisa's departure really had such a huge effect on him... It was very disturbing indeed.

* * *

As she drove towards the airport, Ryou got a call from Tomoyo.

"So I her that they're back from Paris so soon."

"I know... Say, Tomoyo, why don't you join me in picking them up? And then all of us can surprise Tomoya."

"That's a good idea."

"I'll be heading to your place, then." Ryou made a left. Tomoyo's house was in between the hospital and the airport, so it would be fine.

"Great, let's surprise Okazaki together." Tomoyo smiled as she hung up.

* * *

"Get up, Okazaki." Youhei kicked the sofa.

"Wha-?" Tomoya snorted awake.

"You're sleeping and being lazy, like some useless person. Nagisa wouldn't want you to do that, right?"

"Don't tell me what Nagisa would or would not want, Sunohara!" Tomoya growled.

"Both of you, stop fighting." Kyou grabbed Youhei's arm and pulled him away from Tomoya.

"You... You don't know what it's like!" Tomoya snarled.

"What I do know is that you're overreacting too damn much, Okazaki!" Youhei growled.

Both Tomoya and Youhei raised their fists into battle stances, and Kyou didn't know whether she should stop them or not. To her, Youhei was more than right, but she didn't want them to fight... Joining in the fight might end up with her hitting Youhei by mistake, and she definitely didn't want any chance for that to happen...

So she decided to back off. Youhei and Tomoya could probably take care of this on their own.

Before they could hit each other, they heard the doorbell ring.

Youhei and Tomoya froze in position, both with raised fists, both with scary glares, and neither willing to back down.

Kyou ran over to the door, and opened it...

"What's going on here?!" Tomoyo spoke as she walked in first.

Youhei and Tomoya refused to move, and Kyou put her hand on Tomoyo's shoulder. "They need to go through some bonding, we shouldn't..." Kyou stopped talking the moment she saw someone else step into the room.

"Tomoya, Youhei, what's wrong?" Nagisa smiled.

"Nagisa?" Tomoya lowered his fists, as did Youhei.

Nagisa smiled. "I'm home, Tomoya."

"Was Paris that boring?" Kyou spoke, with a confused look on her face.

"No... Just that something happened with the travel agency. We got our refund, though, so there's no problem." Nagisa replied.

Sanae came walking in, with Ushio in her arms.

Tomoya smiled more brightly than Youhei had ever seen before as he saw his daughter, and Kyou sighed.

"Youhei's right, you really do overreact too much..."

But Tomoya couldn't hear her. Holding his daughter in his arms, with Nagisa by his side, Tomoya would rather not be anywhere else. Even when Ryou entered the house after Sanae, Tomoya completely ignored her as he stared happily at Ushio.

A wail from afar quickly got everyone else's attention.

"What's going on?" Tomoyo walked over to the window.

In the distance, they saw a man in rags wander about. "Nagisa! Sanae! Why have you abandoned me?" Akio wailed and flailed about.

"Wait... No one told Akio about the Paris trip?" Kyou's eyes narrowed.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for Nagisa, since she wanted to go there with 'shio... I guess we just forgot to mention it to Akio." Sanae smiled embarrassingly.

"Someone will have to tell him, though." Ryou pointed out.

With a shake of the head, Youhei walked over to the door. "I'll do it... As payback for all the times he grabbed my collar and waved me around like a rag doll." Youhei sneered as he walked over there.

As Kyou watched Youhei approach Akio, Tomoyo, Ryou, and Sanae couldn't help but admire the scene before them. Tomoya, Nagisa, and Ushio were huddled together as one happy family...

Deep in her heart Tomoyo wondered whether she'd find happiness like Nagisa and Kyou...

But, shrugging, she decided not to let that bother her. Scenes like this weren't meant to be ruined by lonely thoughts, after all...

* * *

_And life would continue to bring little adventures to this family... But now they were more than ready to take them on. Together, nothing could bring them down. And nothing ever would._

FIN

* * *

This is my final CLANNAD fic, though I am quite sad to say so. Unfortunately, I really don't have any new plot points to introduce, but, hey, I'll be glad to review any new CLANNAD fics that show up. This section needs more fics. Tomoya, Nagisa, Youhei, Kyou, Tomoyo, Ryou, Kotomi, Fuko, Akio, Sanae, Mei, Yoshino, Kouko, Koumura, Misae, Yukine, Botan, Nishina, Sugisaka, and the rest all need more love.

So thanks for reading, you all!


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